{"instructions": ["What economic statement is the source of a lot of anxiety to the Jews? ", "What did Herzl focus his efforts on?", "What type of neighborhood are the Jewish people living in?", "Herzl focused his political activity on the behalf of what belief system?", "What country is used as the example of a civilised country in which persecution still exists?", "Why do the Jews seem to attract persecution where there wasn't any previously?", "Why did Herzl want legal sanction from the Ottoman authorities?", "Why is immigration of Jews a problem in the story?", "How are the lower class Jews affected in the ghettos?", "Was Herzl affiliated with Zionism?"], "outputs": ["The statement \"Don't buy from Jews.\"", "Securing official legal sanction from the Ottoman empire. ", "The Jews were living in Ghettos.", "Herz focused his political efforts on behalf of Zionism.", "France was given as an example. ", "The political question of if there is a good number or too many Jews hasn't been addressed, even in civilized countries.", "So the Jews could immigrate without persecution.", "The non-Jewish public fear their numbers", "The lower class Jews live in poverty and are destitute", "Only on behalf of them politically."], "gpt4_outputs": ["The economic statement that is the source of a lot of anxiety to the Jews is the belief that they depend on the nations who are their hosts for sustenance and that if they had no hosts to support them, they would die of starvation.\n", "Herzl focused his efforts on the creation of a Jewish State as a solution to the Jewish question and the persecution faced by Jews in various countries.\n", "The Jewish people are living in various countries as minorities, often facing persecution and anti-Semitism, and struggling to assimilate into their host societies.\n", "Herzl focused his political activity on the behalf of the belief system of the restoration of the Jewish State. ", "The country used as an example of a civilized country in which persecution still exists is France. ", "The Jews seem to attract persecution where there wasn't any previously because they are unable to assimilate into the societies they live in, leading to increased anti-Semitism.", "Herzl wanted legal sanction from the Ottoman authorities because he believed it would help in the establishment of a Jewish State and give it legitimacy in the eyes of other nations.\n", "Immigration of Jews is a problem in the story because it leads to increased anti-Semitism and persecution, as well as economic and social difficulties for both the Jews and the host countries.\n", "Lower-class Jews in the ghettos are affected by poverty, social exclusion, and limited opportunities for education and employment. They also face the constant threat of violence and persecution.\n", "Yes, Herzl was affiliated with Zionism. He is considered one of the founding fathers of modern political Zionism and wrote the influential pamphlet \"The Jewish State,\" which outlined his vision for a Jewish homeland in Palestine."], "claude_outputs": ["The statement that \"We depend for sustenance on the nations who are our hosts, and if we had no hosts to support us we should die of starvation.\" ", "Herzl focused his efforts on working to create a Jewish state that would provide a sovereign homeland for the Jewish people. This was the main goal of his Zionist movement.", "The text describes the Jews as still living in the \"Ghetto\" metaphorically, even after the walls of the physical ghettos were broken down. It says \"The Ghetto continues though its walls are broken down.\" Jews still largely interacted only with each other and not with the surrounding Christian populations.", "Herzl focused his political activity on behalf of Zionism and promoting the idea of creating a Jewish state.\n", "France is used as an example of a civilized country where persecution of Jews still exists, according to Herzl.", "The Jews attract persecution wherever they go because their \"infiltration\" (immigration) into new places provokes hostility from the local population, even where there previously was no persecution, according to Herzl. He says \"The unfortunate Jews are now carrying the seeds of Anti-Semitism into England; they have already introduced it into America.\"", "Herzl wanted legal sanction from the Ottoman authorities so that Jews could establish a territory within the Ottoman Empire, specifically Palestine. He hoped the Sultan would grant Jews sovereignty over a portion of Palestine where they could set up a Jewish state.", "The story suggests that the immigration of Jews into various countries creates problems. It is said that wherever Jews live in \"perceptible numbers\", they face persecution. Their immigration also provokes hostilities from local populations, even where Jews had not been persecuted before. Their presence as immigrants attracts anti-Semitism.", "The lower class Jews in the ghettos are described as being severely proletarianized and facing \"absolute despair\". The story says they suffer more severely than any other proletariat. Many are reduced to begging and rely on \"the soft-hearted charity of rich men.\"", "Yes, Herzl was a major proponent and founder of political Zionism. He is considered the father of modern political Zionism and the State of Israel. The story outlines his vision for creating a Jewish state and a land for the Jewish people."], "input": "Produced by Fritz Ohrenschall, Jeannie Howse and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net   \n       *       *       *       *       *     +-----------------------------------------------------------+\n    | Transcriber's Note:                                       |\n    |                                                           |\n    | Inconsistent hyphenation and spelling in the original     |\n    | document have been preserved.                             |\n    |                                                           |\n    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |\n    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |\n    |                                                           |\n    +-----------------------------------------------------------+        *       *       *       *       *  \nTHE\nJEWISH STATE Theodor Herzl  \nTHE\nJEWISH\nSTATE \n_by_\n_Theodor Herzl_  Dover Publications, Inc., New York  \n    This Dover edition, first published in 1988, is an unabridged,\n    unaltered republication of the work originally published in 1946\n    by the American Zionist Emergency Council, New York, based on a\n    revised translation published by the Scopus Publishing Company,\n    New York, 1943, which was, in turn, based on the first\n    English-language edition, _A Jewish State_, translated by Sylvie\n    d'Avigdor, and published by Nutt, London, England, 1896. The\n    Herzl text was originally published under the title _Der\n    Judenstaat_ in Vienna, 1896. Please see the note on the facing\n    page for further details.  \n\"_THE JEWISH STATE_\" is published by the American Zionist Emergency\nCouncil for its constituent organizations on the occasion of the 50th\nAnniversary of the publication of \"DER JUDENSTAAT\" in Vienna, February\n14, 1896. The translation of \"THE JEWISH STATE\" based on a revised translation\npublished by the Scopus Publishing Company was further revised by\nJacob M. Alkow, editor of this book. The biography was condensed from\nAlex Bein's Theodor Herzl, published by the Jewish Publication Society\nof America. The bibliography and the chronology were prepared by the\nZionist Archives and Library. To Mr. Louis Lipsky and to all of the\nabove mentioned contributors, the American Zionist Emergency Council\nis deeply indebted.  \nContents \nIntroduction--Louis Lipsky                                      9 Biography--Alex Bein                                           21 The Jewish State--Theodor Herzl                                67   Preface                                                      69    I. Introduction                                             73   II. The Jewish Question                                      85  III. The Jewish Company                                       98   IV. Local Groups                                            123    V. Society of Jews and Jewish State                        136   VI. Conclusion                                              153 Bibliography                                                  158 Chronology                                                    159  \nINTRODUCTION by _Louis Lipsky_  \n_Introduction_ \nTheodore Herzl was the first Jew who projected the Jewish question as\nan international problem. \"The Jewish State,\" written fifty years ago,\nwas the first public expression, in a modern language, by a modern\nJew, of a dynamic conception of how the solution of the problem could\nbe accelerated and the ancient Jewish hope, slumbering in Jewish\nmemory for two thousand years, could be fulfilled. In 1882, Leo Pinsker, a Jewish physician of Odessa, disturbed by the\npogroms of 1881, made a keen analysis of the position of the Jews,\ndeclared that anti-Semitism was a psychosis and incurable, that the\ncause of it was the abnormal condition of Jewish life, and that the\nonly remedy for it was the removal of the cause through self-help and\nself-liberation. The Jewish people must become an independent nation,\nsettled on the soil of their own land and leading the life of a normal\npeople. Moses Hess in his \"Rome and Jerusalem\" classified the Jewish\nquestion as one of the nationalist struggles inspired by the French\nRevolution. Perez Smolenskin and E. Ben-Yehuda urged the revival of\nHebrew and the resettlement of Palestine as the foundation for the\nrebirth of the Jewish people. Herzl was unaware of the existence of\nthese works. His eyes were not directed to the problem in the same\nmanner. When he wrote \"The Jewish State\" he was a journalist, living\nin Paris, sending his letters to the leading newspaper of Vienna, the\n_Neue Freie Presse_, and writing on a great variety of subjects. He\nwas led to see Jewish life as a phenomenon in a changing world. He had\nadapted himself to a worldly outlook on all life. Through his efforts,\nthe Jewish problem was raised to the higher level of an international\nquestion which, in his judgment, should be given consideration by\nenlightened statesmanship. He was inspired to give his pamphlet a\ntitle that arrested attention.        *       *       *       *       * He wrote \"The Jewish State\" in a mood of restless agitation. His ideas\nwere thrown pell-mell into the white heat of a spontaneous revelation.\nWhat was revealed dazzled and blinded him. Alex Bein, in his excellent\nbiography, gives an intriguing description, drawn from Herzl's\n\"Diaries,\" of how \"The Jewish State\" was born. It was the revelation\nof a mystic vision with flashes and overtones of prophecy. This is\nwhat Bein says:     \"Then suddenly the storm breaks upon him. The clouds open. The\n    thunder rolls. The lightning flashes about him. A thousand\n    impressions beat upon him at the same time--a gigantic vision.\n    He cannot think; he is unable to move; he can only write;\n    breathless, unreflecting, unable to control himself or to\n    exercise his critical faculties lest he dam the eruption, he\n    dashes down his thoughts on scraps of paper--walking, standing,\n    lying down, on the street, at the table, in the night--as if\n    under unceasing command. So furiously did the cataract of his\n    thoughts rush through him, that he thought he was going out of\n    his mind. He was not working out the idea. The idea was working\n    him out. It would have been an hallucination had it not been so\n    informed by reason from first to last.\" Not only did the Magic Title evoke a widespread interest among the\nintellectuals of the day, but it brought Jews out of the ghettos and\nmade them conscious of their origin and destiny. It made them feel\nthat there was a world that might be won for their cause, hitherto\nnever communicated to strangers. Through Herzl, Jews were taught not\nto fear the consequences of an international movement to demand their\nnational freedom. Thereafter, with freedom, they were to speak of a\nZionist Congress, of national funds, of national schools, of a flag\nand a national anthem, and the redemption of their land. Their spirits\nwere liberated and in thought they no longer lived in ghettos. Herzl\ntaught them not to hide in corners. At the First Congress he said, \"We\nhave nothing to do with conspiracy, secret intervention or indirect\nmethods. We wish to put the question in the arena and under the\ncontrol of free public opinion.\" The Jews were to be active factors in\ntheir emancipation and, if they wished it, what was described in \"The\nJewish State\" would not be a dream but a reality.        *       *       *       *       * The beginnings of the Jewish renaissance preceded the appearance of\n\"The Jewish State\" by several decades. In every section of Russian\nJewry and extending to wherever the Jews clung to their Hebraic\nheritage, there was an active Zionist life. The reborn Hebrew was\nbecoming an all-pervading influence. There were scores of Hebrew\nschools and academies. Hebrew journals of superior quality had a wide\ncirculation. Ever since the pogroms of 1881, the ideas of Pinsker and\nSmolenskin and Gordon were discussed with great interest and deep\nunderstanding. There were many Zionist societies in Russia, in Poland,\nin Rumania, in Galicia and even in the United States. In \"The Jewish\nState\" Herzl alludes to the language of The Jewish State and passes\nHebrew by as a manifestation of no great significance. He has a poorer\nopinion of Yiddish, the common language of Jews, which he regards as\n\"the furtive language of prisoners.\" This was obviously an oversight.\nWith the advent of Herzl, however, Zionism was no more a matter of\ndomestic concern only. It was no longer internal Jewish problem only,\nnot a theme for discussion only at Zionist meetings, not a problem to\nheat the spirits of Jewish writers. The problem of Jewish exile now\noccupied a place on the agenda of international affairs.        *       *       *       *       * Herzl was not so distant from his people as many of the Russian\nZionists at first surmised. He was familiar with the social\nanti-Semitism of Austria and Germany. He knew of the disabilities of\nthe Jews in Russia. There are many references in his feuilletons to\nmatters of Jewish interest. He had read an anti-Semitic book written\nby Eugen D\u00fchring called \"The Jewish Problem as a Problem of Race,\nMorals and Culture.\" One of his closest friends had gone to Brazil for\na Jewish committee to investigate the possibility of settling Jews in\nthat part of South America. In 1892 he wrote an article on French\nanti-Semitism in which he considered the solution of a return to Zion\nand seemed to reject it. He wrote \"The New Ghetto\" two years before\n\"The Jewish State\" appeared. He was present at the trial of Alfred\nDreyfus in December, 1894. He witnessed the degradation of Dreyfus and\nheard the cries of \"Down with the Jews\" in the streets of Paris. He\nread Edouard Drumont's anti-Semitic journal \"La France Juive\" and\nsaid, \"I have to thank Drumont for much of the freedom of my present\nconception of the Jewish problem.\" While he was in Paris he was\nstirred as never before by the feeling that the plight of the Jews was\na problem which would have to have the cooperation of enlightened\nstatesmanship. What excited him in the strangest way was the\nunaccountable indifference of Jews themselves to what seemed to him\nthe menace of the existing situation. He saw the Jews in every land\nencircled by enemies, hostility to them growing with the increase of\ntheir numbers. In his excitement he thought first of Jewish\nphilanthropists. He sought an interview with Baron Maurice de Hirsch\nin May, 1895. He planned an address to the Rothschilds. He talked of\nhis ideas to friends in literary circles. His mind was obsessed by a\ngigantic problem which gave him no rest. He was struggling to pierce\nthe veils of revelation. He saw a world in which the Jewish people\nlacked a fulcrum for national action and therefore had to seek to\ncreate it through beneficence. He had a remarkably resourceful and\nagile imagination. He weighed ideas, balanced them, discarded them,\nreflected, reconsidered, tried to reconcile contradictions, and\nfinally came to what seemed to him at the moment the synthesis of the\nissue which seemed acceptable to reason and sentiment.        *       *       *       *       * Obviously, \"The Jewish State\" was not a dogmatic finality. Most of the\nplans for settlement and migration are improvisations. The pamphlet\nwas not a rigid plan or a blueprint. It was not a description of a\nUtopia, although some parts of it give that impression. It had an\nindicated destiny but was not bound by a rigid line. It was the\nillumination of a dynamic thought and followed the light with the hope\nthat it might lead to fulfillment. There was room for detours and\nvariations. It was to be rewritten, as he knew, not by its author but\nby the Jewish people on their way to freedom.        *       *       *       *       * In fact, it was revised from the moment the Zionist movement was\norganized on an international basis. The \"Society of Jews\" became the\nZionist Organization, with its statutes, its procedures, its public\nexcitement and controversies. \"The Jewish Company\" became the Bank;\nthen more specifically, the Jewish Colonial Trust and later the\nAnglo-Palestine Bank. The description of the _Gestor_, which appears\nin the final chapter of the pamphlet, was never referred to again,\nbut in effect it was incorporated in the idea of a state\nin-the-process-of-becoming. Its legitimate successor is the Jewish\nAgency referred to in the Mandate for Palestine. He was first led by\nthe idea that the way to the charter was through the Sultan and that\nthe Sultan would be influenced by Kaiser Wilhelm. But both princes\nfailing him, he turned to England and Joseph Chamberlain, and came to\nthe Uganda proposal. This was Herzl's one political success although\nthe project was, in effect, rejected by the Zionist Congress. But\nthis encounter with England was a precedent which led to much\nspeculation in Zionist circles and gave a turn to Zionist thought\naway from Germany and Turkey. It served to inspire Dr. Chaim Weizman\nto make his home in England with the express purpose of seeking\nEnglish sympathy for the Zionist ideal. The successor of Joseph\nChamberlain was Arthur James Balfour. When Herzl opened Chamberlain's\ndoor, Zionism had an easier access to the England of Balfour. When Herzl first appeared on the political scene, he thought of\ncourtiers and statesmen, of princes and kings. He found that they\ncould not be relied upon for truth or stability. They were encircled\nby favorites and mercenaries. Enormous responsibilities rested upon\ntheir shoulders but they seemed to behave with regard to these\nresponsibilities as if they were gamblers or amateurs. Herzl soon\nrealized that these were frail reeds that would break under the\nslightest pressure. He came to put his trust in the Jewish people,\nthe only real source of strength for the purpose of redemption.\nConfidence in themselves would give them power to breach their prison\nwalls. His aristocratic republic had to become a movement of\ndemocracy. Only in \"The Jewish State\" will you find reference to a\nmovement based upon Jews who endorse a \"fixed program,\" and then\nbecome members under the \"discipline\" of leadership. When Herzl faced\nthe First Congress, he saw that this conception of Zionism was foreign\nto the nature and character of the Jewish people. The shekel was the\nregistry of a name. It led the way to the elevation of the individual\nin Zionist affairs, first as a member of a democratic army \"willing\"\nthe fulfillment, and then settling in Palestine to become the hands\nthat built the Homeland. Arrayed in the armor of democracy, the Zionist movement made the\nself-emancipation ideal of Pinsker live in the soul of Herzl. At a\nnumber of Congresses, in his articles in Die Welt, Herzl showed how\nthat idea had become an integral part of his life, although his first\nthoughts ran in quite another direction. But his analysis of anti-Semitism and how to approach the problem\nremains true today after Hitler, as it was true then after Dreyfus.\nThis was the authentic revelation that in his last days was fixed in\nhis mind. The homelessness of the Jewish people must come to an end.\nThat tragedy is a world problem. It is to be solved by world\nstatesmanship in cooperation with the reawakened Jewish people. It is\nto be solved by the establishment of a free Jewish State in their\nhistoric Homeland. Herzl manifested his utter identification with the\ndestiny of his own people at the Uganda Congress when he faced the\nrebellious Russian Zionists, spoke words of consolation to them and\ngave them assurances of his fealty to Zion. He died a few months\nlater. \"The Jewish State\" was not regarded by Herzl as a piece of literature.\nIt was a political document. It was to serve as the introduction to\npolitical action. It was to lead to the conversion of leaders in\npolitical life. It was to win converts to the idea of a Jewish State.\nAlthough a shy man at first, he did not hesitate to make his way\nthrough the corridors of the great and suffer the humiliations of the\nsuppliant. Through that remarkable friend and Christian, the Reverend\nWilliam H. Hechler, he met the Grand Duke of Baden; he made the rounds\nof German statesmen, Count zu Eulenburg, Foreign Minister, Von Buelow\nand Reichschancellor Hohenlohe; then he met the favorites who\nencircled Sultan Abdul Hamid and the Sultan himself. He placed the\ndramatic personae of his drama on the stage. The plan involved the\nTurkish debt, the German interest in the Orient. It involved\nstimulating the Russians and visiting the Pope. At first his political\nactivities were conducted as the author of a startling pamphlet, then\nas the leader of his people. He became conscious of his leadership,\nand played his part with superb dignity. He had ease of manner and\ncorrect form. He created the impression of a regal personality; his\nnoble appearance hid his hesitations and fears. With the Sultan he\nplayed the most remarkable game of diplomacy. He believed that once a\nmutual interest could be arrived at, he would be able to secure the\nfunds, although at the time of speaking he had no funds at all.\nAdjusting himself to the wily Turk, he had to change and diminish his\ndemands and finally, when he was dangerously near a disclosure, he was\nsaved by the Sultan's transferring his interest to the French and\nobtaining his funds from them. With Kaiser Wilhelm, he soon\nappreciated the fact that he had to deal with a great theatrical\npersonality who spoke of plans and purpose with great fire, but had\nno courage and whose convictions melted away in the face of\nobstacles. The world Herzl dealt with has passed away. The Turkish Empire now\noccupies a small part of the Near East. Its former provinces have now\nbecome \"sovereign\" states struggling to establish harmony between\nthemselves and feeding on their animus towards the Jewish people\nreturning home. The methods of diplomacy have changed. Loudness of\nspeech is no longer out of order. Frankness and brutality may be\nexpected at any international gathering. It is now felt as never\nbefore that behind political leaders, rulers, princes, statesmen, the\npeople are advancing and soon will be able to push aside those who\nmake of the relations of peoples a game and a gamble, a struggle for\npower, which, when achieved, dissolves into the nothingness of vanity.        *       *       *       *       * \"The Jewish State\" should be regarded as one of a series of books,\nvariations on the same theme, composed by the same author. The first\nwas \"The New Ghetto\" (1894). That was a play which dealt with the\nsocial life of the upper class of Jews in Vienna. Then came the\n\"Address to the Rothschilds.\" That was a memorandum which contained a\nproposal to Jewish philanthropists. \"The Jewish State\" was the third\neffort of an agitated mind, wavering between the projection of a\nUtopia or a thesis, and containing the political solution of the\nJewish problem. The final variant of the original theme was the novel\n\"Altneuland.\" Here he pictured the Promised Land as it might become\ntwenty years after the beginning of the Zionist movement. In the\ninterims, he played on the exciting stage of the Zionist Congresses.\nHe paid court to princes and their satellites. He led in the\norganization of the Jewish Colonial Trust and the Jewish National\nFund. He delivered political addresses and engaged in political\ncontroversy. He began the writing of his \"Diaries\" after he had\nwritten \"The Jewish State.\" His whole personality is reflected in that\nremarkable book. There you see his ideas in the process of becoming\nclear. There you see his sharp reactions; the reflection of his hopes,\nhis disappointments, his shifts from untenable positions to positions\npossible after defeat. There you read his penetrating analysis of the\nfigures on the Zionist stage upon whom he had to rely. There you are\nmade to feel his doubts, his dread of death. In the midst of life he\nfelt himself encircled by the Shadow of Death. There you found the\nexplanation of his great haste, why he was so anxious to bring a\nmeasure of practical reality to the Jewish people even if it\nnecessitated a detour from the land which was becoming more and more a\npart of his hopes and desires. The \"Diaries\" are unrestrained and\nunstudied. They were written hurriedly in the heat of the moment. They\nreveal the making of the great personality who gave only a glimpse of\nhimself in \"The Jewish State.\" They show the writer evolving as the\nhero of a great and lasting legend. The pamphlet is one of the\nchapters in the story of his struggle to achieve in eight years what\nhis people had not been able to achieve in two thousand years. He gave\nhis life to write it.  \n_Theodor Herzl_ A BIOGRAPHY\nbased on the work of _Alex Bein_ \nTheodor Herzl was born on Wednesday, May 2, 1860, in the city of\nBudapest. Almost next door to his father's house was the liberal-reform temple.\nTo this house of worship the little boy went regularly with his father\non Sabbaths and Holy Days. At home, too, the essentials of the ritual\nwere observed. One ceremony which Theodor learned in childhood\nremained with him; before every important event and decision he sought\nthe blessing of his parents. Even stronger than these impressions, however, was the influence of\nhis mother. Her education had been German through and through; there\nwas not a day on which she did not slip into German literature,\nespecially the classics. The Jewish world, not alien to her, did not find expression through\nher; her conscious efforts were all directed toward implanting the\nGerman cultural heritage in her children. Of even deeper significance\nwas her sympathetic attitude toward the pride which showed early in\nher son, and her skill in transferring to him her sense of form, of\nbearing, of tactfulness and of simple grace. At about the age of twelve he read in a German book about the\nMessiah-King whom many Jews still awaited and who would come riding,\nlike the poorest of the poor on an ass. The history of the Exodus and\nthe legend of the liberation by the King-Messiah ran together in the\nboy's mind, inspiring in him the theme of a wonderful story which he\nsought in vain to put into literary form. A little while thereafter Herzl had the following dream: \"The\nKing-Messiah came, a glorious and majestic old man, took me in his\narms, and swept off with me on the wings of the wind. On one of the\niridescent clouds we encountered the figure of Moses. The features\nwere those familiar to me out of my childhood in the statue by\nMichelangelo. The Messiah called to Moses: It is for this child that I\nhave prayed. But to me he said: Go, declare to the Jews that I shall\ncome soon and perform great wonders and great deeds for my people and\nfor the whole world.\" It may be to this period (of his _Bar Mitzvah_) of reawakened Jewish\nsensitivity, of heightened responsiveness to the expectations of his\nelders, of resurgent interest in Jewish historical studies--it may be\nto this period that the dream of a dedicated life belonged. It is\nalmost certain, too, that for the great event of the _Bar Mitzvah_ the\nold grandfather of Semlin came to Pest. About this time, again,\nAlkalai, that early, all-but-forgotten Zionist, passed through Vienna\nand Budapest on his final journey to Palestine. Whether or not each\none of these circumstances had a direct effect on the boy, the whole\ncomplex surrounds his _Bar Mitzvah_ with the suggestion of the mission\nof his life, and, certainly, occasion was given for the awakening in\nhim of the feeling of dedication to a great enterprise. The attention, energy and time which Herzl devoted to literature, at\nfifteen, his absorption in himself, his activity in the school\nliterary society meant of course so much less given to his school\nwork. He found no time at all for science; Jewish questions likewise\ndisappeared from his interests; he was completely absorbed by German\nliterary culture. This is all the more astonishing when we reflect\nthat anti-Semitism continued to increase steadily. As a grown man\nHerzl could recall that one of his teachers, in defining the word\n\"heathen,\" had said, \"such as idolators, Mohammedans and Jews.\"\nWhether it was this incident,--as the memory of the grown man always\ninsisted--which enraged him beyond endurance, or the increasingly bad\nschool reports, or both circumstances together, the fact remains that\non February 4, 1875 Herzl left the Technical School. At sixteen to eighteen in High School, he struggled to define the\nbasic principles of various literary art forms in order that he might\nsee more clearly what he himself wanted to say. He took an active and\neager part in the work of the \"German Self-Education Society\" created\nby the students of his school. The Jewish world, whose inferior\nposition always wounded his pride, and whose obstinate separatism\nseemed to him utterly meaningless, drifted further and further out of\nhis mind. At eighteen, after the sudden death of his only sister, the family\nmoved to Vienna where Herzl entered the University as a law student.\nHerzl, who accounted himself a liberal and an Austrian patriot,\nplunged eagerly into the activities of a large student Cultural\nAssociation, attended its discussions and directed its literary\nevenings. He had occasion, there, to deride certain Jewish fellow\nmembers who, in his view, displayed an excessive eagerness in their\nloyalty to various movements. This was the extent to which, in these days, he occupied himself with\nthe Jewish question--at least externally. He concerned himself little\nor not at all with the official Jewish world which was seeking to\nsubmerge itself in the surrounding world. He seldom visited the\nsynagogue. He was an omnivorous reader. His extraordinary knowledge of books was\nevident in his conversation, for he liked to adorn his speech with\nquotations, which came readily to his memory. Herzl read Eugen\nD\u00fchring's book _The Jewish-Problem as a Problem of Race, Morals and\nCulture_--the first and most important effort to find a \"scientific,\"\nphilosophic, biologic and historical basis for the anti-Semitism which\nwas sweeping through Europe in those days (1881). D\u00fchring saw the\nJewish question as a purely racial question, and for him the Jewish\nrace was without any worth whatsoever. Those peoples which, out of a\nfalse sentiment of humanity, had permitted the Jews to live among them\nwith equal and sometimes even with superior rights, had to be\nliberated from the harmful intruder, had to be de-Judaized. The reading of this book had the effect upon him of a blow between the\neyes. The observations set down in his diary burn with indignation:\n\"An infamous book.... If D\u00fchring, who unites so much undeniable\nintelligence with so much universality of knowledge, can write like\nthis, what are we to expect from the ignorant masses?\" This passionate reaction to D\u00fchring's book shows us how deeply he had\nbeen moved, and how fearfully he had been shaken in his belief that\nthe Jewish question was on the point of disappearing. We shall find\nechoes of this experience in the pages of the _Judenstaat_. For the\ntime being, however, he shrank from the logical consequences of his\nreactions. His inner pride began to build itself up. The more immediate reaction was undoubtedly a sharpened perception and\nevaluation of his fellow-members in the Fraternity. Herzl had joined\nand been active in a duelling Fraternity. Here, too, anti-Semitism was\nbreaking through; student after student expressed himself favorably\ntoward the Jew-baiting speeches of Schoenerer, who was making a\nspecial effort to win over the universities. In the Fraternity debates\nHerzl expressed himself sharply against any open or covert\nmanifestation of such sympathy. But he was already known for the\nsharpness of his tongue and the individuality of his views. Thus he\nwon to himself neither the few co-religionists who belonged to the\nFraternity nor the mass of the Germanic students. He had learned from newspaper reports that the Wagner Memorial\nmeeting, in which his Fraternity had taken a part, had been\ntransformed into an anti-Semitic demonstration. His Fraternity had,\ntherefore, identified itself with a movement which he, as a believer\nin liberty, was bound to condemn, even if he had not been a Jew. \"It\nis pretty clear that, handicapped as I am by my Semitism (the word was\nnot yet known at the time of my entry), I would today refrain from\nseeking a membership which would, indeed, probably be refused me; it\nmust also be clear to every decent person that under these\ncircumstances I cannot wish to retain my membership.\" Herzl withdrew\nfrom the organization. On July 30, 1884, Herzl was admitted to the bar in Vienna. His student\ndays were over. A new era opened for him, with its challenge to prove\nwhether or not there was something in him to establish and proclaim to\nthe world. In August, he entered on his law practice in the service of the state\nand was soon transferred to the court of Salzburg. Though he may at\nthat time have been so far from Judaism that only pride and a decent\nrespect for the feelings of his parents stood between him and baptism,\nhe could not help perceiving that as a Jew he would find the higher\nlevels of the civil service hierarchy closed to him. On August 5,\n1885, he withdrew from the service, determined to seek fame and\nfortune as a writer. Brimming with hope, he set out on a journey which was to be the\nintroduction to his literary life. He visited Belgium and Holland and\nin Berlin made valuable connections and became a regular contributor\nto several important newspapers. Thus the range of his connections and\nrelationships widened from year to year, and when he travelled again\nit was an ever-widening audience that waited for his impressions and\nobservations. In a book of reprinted feuilletons of Herzl which appeared in the\nfirst years of his success as a journalist a total of seven or eight\nlines is devoted to Jews. His impressions of the Ghetto in Rome. \"What\na steaming in the air, what a street! Countless open doors and windows\nthronged with innumerable pallid and worn-out faces. The ghetto! With\nwhat base and persistent hatred these unfortunates have been\npersecuted for the sole crime of faithfulness to their religion. We've\ntravelled a long way since those times: nowadays the Jew is despised\nonly for having a crooked nose, or for being a plutocrat even when he\nhappens to be a pauper.\" Pity and bitterness abound in these lines,\nbut they are written by a detached spectator. He did not know how much\nof the Jew there was in him even in this feeling of remoteness from a\nworld which offered him not living reality but folly. By 1892, Herzl had achieved great success as a dramatist and as a\njournalist; his plays had been performed on the stage of the leading\ntheatre of Vienna and, to cap the climax, came an appointment to the\nstaff of the _Neue Freie Presse_, one of the most distinguished papers\non the continent. Early in October he received a telegram from the _Neue Freie Presse_\nasking whether he would accept the post of Paris correspondent. He\nreplied at once in the affirmative, and proceeded to the French\ncapital at the end of the same month. He wrote to his parents: \"The\nposition of Paris correspondent is the springboard to great things,\nand I shall achieve them, to your great joy, my dear beloved parents.\" Herzl sustained successfully the comparison with his great models and\npredecessors. In style as well as in substance his reports and\narticles were masterpieces of their kind. He came to his task with the\nequipment of a perfect feuilletonist; his style was polished and\nmusical; he possessed in an exceptional degree the capacity to\ndescribe natural scenery in a few fine clear strokes and of hinting\nat, rather than of reproducing, a mood with a minimum of language.\nEverything was there, background, mood and development of action in\nplastic balance. It was only now, when a great opportunity provoked\nhim to the highest effort, that all the lessons of the years of his\napprenticeship built up a many-sided perfection. He threw himself seriously and diligently into the journalistic craft.\nHe observed with close attention all that went on about him, and\nlistened with sharpened ears. But the moment had not yet come for the\nunveiling of a mission within him. He was on the way; the process of\npreparation had begun. How, in this mood of his, could he possibly have avoided clashing with\nthe Jewish question? As far back as the time of his Spanish journey,\nwhen he had sought healing from his domestic and spiritual torments,\nthe question had presented itself to him and had cried for artistic\nexpression. His call to Paris had been a welcome pretext, perhaps,\nputting off the writing of his Jewish novel--the more so as he\nprobably was not ripe enough for such an undertaking. Now that he was\nin Paris, where his eyes were opened to the full range of the social\nprocess, he began to draw nearer in spirit to his fellow-Jews, and to\nlook upon them more warmly and with less inhibition. He found them as\ndifficult aesthetically as before, but he tried hard to grasp the\nessence of their character and substance, and to judge them without\nprejudice. When Herzl arrived in Paris anti-Semitism, had not--in spite of\nDrumont's exertions, and in spite of his paper, _la Libre Parole_,\nfounded in 1892--achieved the dimensions of a genuine movement, nor\nwas it destined to become one in the German sense. But it served as\nthe focus for all kinds of discontents and resentments; it attracted\ncertain serious critical spirits, too; its influence grew from day to\nday, and the position of the Jews became increasingly uncomfortable. Herzl's contact with anti-Semitism dated back to his student days,\nwhen it had first taken on the form of a social political movement. He\nhad been aware of it as a writer, though the contact had never ripened\ninto a serious inner struggle or compelled him to give utterance to\nit. Now he read Drumont, as he had read D\u00fchring. The impression was again\na profound one. What moved him most in the work was the totality of a\nworld picture based on a considered hostility to the Jews. A ritual-murder trial was in progress in the town of Xanten, in the\nRhineland. On August 31, 1892, Herzl, dealing with this subject as\nwith all other subjects of public interest, summed up the general\nsituation in a long report entitled \"French anti-Semitism.\" By now Herzl was no longer content with a simple acceptance of the\nfacts; he was looking for the deeper significance of the universal\nenmity directed against the Jews. For the world it is a lightning\nconductor. But so far it was only a flash of insight which ended in\nnothing more than a literary paradox. However, from now on it gave him\nno peace. At the turn of the year 1892-93 there came a sharp clarification in\nhis ideas. He had followed closely the evasive debates in the Austrian\nReichstag--debates which forever dodged the reality by turning the\nquestion into one of religion. \"It is no longer--and it has not been\nfor a long time--a theological matter. It has nothing whatsoever to do\nwith religion and conscience,\" declared Herzl. \"What is more, everyone\nknows it. The Jewish question is neither nationalistic nor religious.\nIt is a social question.\" Then came the summer, 1894, and at its close Herzl took a much needed\nvacation. He spent the month of September in Baden, near Vienna, in\nthe company of his fellow-feuilletonist on the _Neue Freie Presse_,\nLudwig Speidel. Herzl has left a record of their conversation. What he\ngave Speidel was more or less what he had felt, many years before,\nafter his reading of D\u00fchring. He admitted the substance of the\nanti-Semitic accusation which linked the Jew with money; he defended\nthe Jew as the victim of a long historic process for which the Jew was\nnot responsible. \"It is not our fault, not the fault of the Jews, that\nwe find ourselves forced into the role of alien bodies in the midst of\nvarious nations. The ghetto, which was not of our making, bred in us\ncertain anti-social qualities.... Our original character cannot have\nbeen other than magnificent and proud; we were men who knew how to\nface war and how to defend the state; had we not started out with such\ngifts, how could we have survived two thousand years of unrelenting\npersecution?\" At that time Herzl came across the Zionist solution, and definitely\nrejected it. Discussing the novel _Femme de Claude_, by Dumas the\nyounger, he says of one of its characters: \"The good Jew Daniel wants\nto rediscover the homeland of his race and gather his scattered\nbrothers into it. But a man like Daniel would surely know that the\nhistoric homeland of the Jews no longer has any value for them. It is\nchildish to go in search of the geographic location of this homeland.\nAnd if the Jews really 'returned home' one day, they would discover\non the next day that they do not belong together. For centuries they\nhave been rooted in diverse nationalisms; they differ from each other,\ngroup by group; the only thing they have in common is the pressure\nwhich holds them together. All humiliated peoples have Jewish\ncharacteristics, and as soon as the pressure is removed they react\nlike liberated men.\" The inner apotheosis was drawing nearer and nearer for Herzl. In\nOctober, 1894, Herzl was in the studio of the sculptor, Samuel\nFriedrich Beer, who was making a bust of him. The conversation turned\nto the Jewish question and to the growth of the anti-Semitic movement\nin Vienna, the hometown of both Herzl and Beer. It was useless for the\nJew to turn artist and to dissociate himself from money, said Herzl.\n\"The blot sticks. We can't break away from the ghetto.\" A great\nexcitement seized Herzl, and he left the atelier, and on the way home\nthe inspiration came on him like a hammerblow. What was it? The\ncomplete outline of a play, \"like a block of basalt.\" With this play Herzl completed his inner return to his people. Until\nthen, with all his emotional involvement in the question, he had stood\noutside it as the observer, the student, the clarifier, or even the\ndefender. He had provided the world-historic background for the\nproblem, he had diagnosed it and given the prognosis for the future.\nNow he was immersed in it and identified with it. He had become its spokesman and attorney, as he was spokesman and\nattorney for other victims of injustice. It was no accident that the\nhero of the play was a lawyer by vocation and avocation. For the hero\nwas Herzl himself, and the transformation which unfolded in Dr. Jacob\nSamuel was the transformation which was unfolding in Theodore Herzl. He belongs utterly to the Jews; it is for them that he fights, and,\ndying, he still sees himself as the fighter for their future. What\nfuture Jacob Samuel foresaw for the Jews in his dying moments remained\nunclear. It would appear that Herzl himself still believed that a\ndeepening of mutual understanding between Jews and non-Jews might\nbring the solution. But Herzl had travelled so much further by this time that he could not\nhave in mind the \"reconciliation\" which would come by the capitulation\nof baptism. Indeed, the play emphasizes as a first prerequisite in\nhuman relations the element of self-respect. \"If you become untrue to\nyourself,\" says the clever mother to the son, in the play, \"you musn't\ncomplain if others become untrue to you.\" It was like a fresh wind\nblowing suddenly through the choking atmosphere of a lightless room.\nIt was a new attitude: decent pride! It called for a frightful effort to descend from the intoxicating\nheights of creativity to the ordinary round of work. For weeks now his\nregular employment had filled Herzl with revulsion. The first reports\nof the Dreyfus trial, which appeared while he was working on his _New\nGhetto_, therefore made no particular impression on him. It looked\nlike a sordid espionage affair in which a foreign power--before long\nit was revealed that the foreign power was Germany, acting through\nMajor von Schwartzkoppen--had been buying up through its agent secret\ndocuments of the French general staff. An officer by the name of\nAlfred Dreyfus was named as the culprit, and no one had reason to\ndoubt that he was guilty, even though Drumont's _Libre Parole_ was\nexploiting the fact that the man was a Jew. But, after the degradation of Dreyfus, Herzl became more and more\nconvinced of his innocence. \"A Jew who, as an officer on the general\nstaff, has before him an honorable career, cannot commit such a\ncrime.... The Jews, who have so long been condemned to a state of\ncivic dishonor, have, as a result, developed an almost pathological\nhunger for honor, and a Jewish officer is in this respect specifically\nJewish.\" \"The Dreyfus case,\" he wrote in 1899, \"embodies more than a judicial\nerror; it embodies the desire of the vast majority of the French to\ncondemn a Jew, and to condemn all Jews in this one Jew. Death to the\nJews! howled the mob, as the decorations were being ripped from the\ncaptain's coat.... Where? In France. In republican, modern, civilized\nFrance, a hundred years after the Declaration of the Rights of Man.\nThe French people, or at any rate the greater part of the French\npeople, does not want to extend the rights of man to Jews. The edict\nof the great Revolution had been revoked.\" Illumined thus in retrospect, the \"curious excitement\" which gripped\nHerzl on that occasion takes on a special significance. \"Until that\ntime most of us believed that the solution of the Jewish question was\nto be patiently waited for as part of the general development of\nmankind. But when a people which in every other respect is so\nprogressive and so highly civilized can take such a turn, what are we\nto expect from other peoples, which have not even attained the level\nwhich France attained a hundred years ago?\" In that fateful moment, when he heard the howling of the mob outside\nthe gates of the _Ecole Militaire_, the realization flashed upon Herzl\nthat anti-Semitism was deep-rooted in the heart of the people--so\ndeep, indeed, that it was impossible to hope for its disappearance\nwithin a measurable period of time. Precisely because he was so\nsensitive to his honor as a Jew, precisely because he had proclaimed,\nin the _New Ghetto_, the ideal of human reconciliation, and had taken\nthe ultimate decision to stand by his Jewishness, the ghastly\nspectacle of that winter morning must have shaken him to the depths of\nhis being. It was as if the ground had been cut away from under his\nfeet. In this sense Herzl could say later that the Dreyfus affair had\nmade him a Zionist. He saw all about him the ever fiercer light of a blazing\nanti-Semitism. In the French Chamber of Deputies the deputy Denis made\nan interpellation on the influence of the Jews in the political\nadministration of the country. In Vienna a Jewish member of the\nReichstag rose to speak and was howled down. On April 2, 1895, were\nheld the municipal elections of Vienna, and there was an enormous\nincrease in the number of anti-Semitic aldermen. Changing plans passed\ntumultuously through his mind. He wanted to write a book on \"The\nCondition of the Jews,\" consisting of reports on all the important\nJewish colonization enterprises in Russia, Galicia, Hungary, Bohemia,\nthe Orient, and those more recently founded in Palestine, about which\nhe had heard from a relative. Alphonse Daudet, the famous French\nauthor with whom he had discussed the whole matter, felt that Herzl\nought to write a novel; it would carry further than a play. \"Look at\n_Uncle Tom's Cabin_.\" He returned to his former plan of a Jewish novel which he had\nabandoned when he was called to his assignment on the _Neue Freie\nPresse_ in Paris. His friend Kana, the suicide, was no longer to be\nthe central figure. He was instead to be \"the weaker one, the beloved\nfriend of the hero,\" and would take his own life after a series of\nmisfortunes, while the Promised Land was being discovered or rather\nfounded. When the hero aboard the ship which was taking him to the\nPromised Land would receive the moving farewell letter of his friend,\nhis first reaction after his horror would be one of rage: \"Idiot!\nFool! Miserable hopeless weakling! A life lost which belonged to us!\" We can see the Zionist idea arising. Its outlines are still\nindefinite, but the decisive idea is clearly visible; only by\nmigration can this upright human type be given its chance to emerge.\nIn _The New Ghetto_ Jacob Samuel is a hero because he knows how to\nchoose an honorable death. Now the death of a useful man is criminally\nwasteful. For there are great tasks to be undertaken. In essence it is the Act and not the Word that confronts us. What last\nimpulse it was that actually carried Herzl from the Word to the Act it\nwill be difficult to tell--he himself could not have given the answer.\nLittle things may play a dramatic role not less effectively than great\nones when a man is so charged with purpose as Herzl then was. In the early days of May, Herzl addressed to Baron de Hirsch (the\nsponsor of Jewish colonization in Argentina), the letter which opens\nhis Jewish political career. His request for an interview was granted.\nHerzl prepared an outline of his position in notes, lest he omit\nsomething important during their conversation. In these notes he writes: \"If the Jews are to be transformed into men\nof character in a reasonable period of time, say ten or twenty years,\nor even forty--the interval needed by Moses--it cannot be done without\nmigration. Who is going to decide whether conditions are bad enough\ntoday to warrant our migration? And whether the situation is hopeless?\nAnd the Congress which you (i.e. Hirsch) have convened for the first\nof August in a hotel in Switzerland? You will preside over this\nCongress of notables. Your call will be heard and answered in every\npart of the world. \"And what will be the message given to the men assembled 'You are\npariahs! You must forever tremble at the thought that you are about\nto be deprived of your rights and stripped of your possessions. You\nwill be insulted when you walk in the street. If you are poor, you\nsuffer doubly. If you are rich, you must conceal the fact. You are not\nadmitted to any honorable calling, and if you deal in money you are\nmade the special focus of contempt.... The situation will not change\nfor the better, but rather for the worse.... There is only way out:\ninto the Promised Land.'\" Where the Promised Land was to be located, how it was to be acquired,\nis not yet mentioned. Herzl does not seem to have thought this\nquestion of decisive significance; it was a scientific matter. It was\nthe organization of the migration which held his attention, the\npolitical preparations among the Powers, the preliminary changes to be\nbrought about among the masses by training, by \"tremendous propaganda,\nthe popularization of the idea through newspapers, books, pamphlets,\nlectures, pictures, songs.\" On the day of his conversation with Baron de Hirsch, Herzl wrote him a\nlong letter in which he sought to supplement the information and\nimpressions which had been the result of the meeting. \"Please believe\nme, the political life of an entire people--particularly when that\npeople is scattered throughout the entire world--can be set in motion\nonly with imponderables floating high in the air. Do you know what the\nGerman Reich sprang from? From dreams, songs, fantasies, and\ngold-black bands worn by students. And that in a brief period of time.\nWhat? You do not understand imponderables? And what is religion?\nBethink yourself what the Jews have endured for two thousand years for\nthe sake of this fantasy.... \"The exodus to the Promised Land presents itself as a tremendous\nenterprise in transportation, unparalleled in the modern world. What\ntransportation? It is a complex of all human enterprises which we\nshall fit Into each other like cog-wheels. And in the very first\nstages of the enterprise we shall find employment for the ambitious\nyounger masses of our people: all the engineers, architects,\ntechnologists, chemists, doctors, and lawyers, those who have emerged\nin the last thirty years from the ghetto and who have been moved by\nthe faith that they can win their bread and a little honor outside the\nframework of our Jewish business futilities. Today they must be filled\nwith despair, they constitute the foundation of a frightful\nover-educated proletariat. But it is to these that all my love\nbelongs, and I am just as set on increasing their number as you are\nset on diminishing it. It is in them that I perceive the latent power\nof the Jewish people. In brief, my kind.\" In this letter of June 3, 1895, Herzl for the first time imparted his\nnew Jewish policy to a stranger. The writing down of his views, as\nwell as his conversation on the subject, had had a stronger effect on\nhimself than on Hirsch. He had obtained a clear vision of the new and\nrevolutionary character of his proposals. On the same day or shortly\nthereafter he began a diary under the title of _The Jewish Question_. \"For some time now, I have been engaged upon a work of indescribable\ngreatness. I do not know yet whether I shall carry it through. It has\nassumed the aspect of some mighty dream. But days and weeks have\npassed since it has filled me utterly, it has overflown into my\nunconscious self, it accompanies me wherever I go, it broods above all\nmy commonplace conversation, it peeps over my shoulder at the comical\nlittle journalistic work which I must carry out. It disturbs and\nintoxicates me.\" Then suddenly the storm breaks upon him. The clouds open, the thunder\nrolls and the lightning flashes about him. A thousand impressions beat\nupon him simultaneously, a gigantic vision. He cannot think, he cannot\nact, he can only write; breathless, unreflecting, unable to control\nhimself, unable to exercise the critical faculty lest he dam the\neruption, he dashes down his thoughts on scraps of paper--\"Walking,\nstanding, lying down, in the street, at table, in the night,\" as if\nunder unceasing command. And then doubts rise up from the depths. He dines with well-to-do,\neducated, oppressed people who confront the question of anti-Semitism\nin a state of complete helplessness: \"They do not suspect it, but they\nare ghetto-natures, quiet, decent, timid. That is what most of us are.\nWill they understand the call to freedom and to manhood? When I left\nthem my spirits were very low. Again, my plan appeared to me to be\ncrazy.\" Then at once he comes to \"Today I am again as firm as steel.\"\nHe notes the next morning. \"The flabbiness of the people I met\nyesterday gives me all the more grounds for action.\" Clearer and clearer becomes the picture which he has of himself and of\nhis task in the history of his people. \"I picked up once again the\ntorn thread of the tradition of our people. I lead it into the\nPromised Land.\" \"The Promised Land, where we can have hooked noses, black or red\nbeards, and bow legs, without being despised for it; where we can live\nat last as free men on our own soil, and where we can die peacefully\nin our own fatherland. There we can expect the award of honor for\ngreat deeds, so that the offensive cry of 'Jew!' may become an\nhonorable appellation, like German, Englishman, Frenchman--in brief,\nlike all civilized peoples; so that we may be able to form our state\nto educate our people for the tasks which at present still lie beyond\nour vision. For surely God would not have kept us alive so long if\nthere were not assigned to us a specific role in the history of\nmankind.\" He adds: \"The Jewish state is a world need.\" He draws the\nlogical consequence for himself: \"I believe that for me life has ended\nand world history begun.\" He let the first storm pass over him, yielding to its imperious will,\nmaking no effort to stem its fury lest he interrupt the inspiration.\nWhen it had had its way with him, he took hold of himself again, and\ngathered up his energies for the effort to reconstruct everything\nlogically and in ordered fashion. He was afraid that death might come\nupon him before he had succeeded in reducing to transferable form his\nhistoric vision. Thus, in the course of five days, he added to his\ndiary a sixty-five page pamphlet--in effect the outline of _Der\nJudenstaat_--which he called: _Address to the Rothschilds_. In the address he writes, \"I have the solution to the Jewish question.\nI know it sounds mad; and at the beginning I shall be called mad more\nthan once--until the truth of what I am saying is recognized in all\nits shattering force.\" He wrote to Bismarck asking for an interview in order to submit his\nplan for a solution to the Jewish problem but he received no reply. He wrote to Rabbi Gudemann, Chief Rabbi of Vienna, the occasion being\nthe anti-Jewish excesses which had occurred in Vienna. \"This plan ...\nis a reserve against more evil days.\" Herzl, in his first visit to England, met and talked with Israel\nZangwill, the novelist, whom he impressed without quite winning him\nover. But Zangwill made it possible for him to meet more than a few\nprominent, influential Jews of whom he made immediate converts. None\nof them wanted to know anything about the Argentine, and on this point\nthe practical men were united with the dreamers: Palestine alone came\ninto the picture for a national concentration of the Jews. After his experiences in England, Herzl resolved to present his plan\nto the public at large. The _Address to the Rothschilds_ which was the\nfirst complete writing of his plan, forged in the heat of inspiration\nwas thoroughly reworked and emerged as his great book _Der\nJudenstaat_. Its title was: _The Jewish State: An Attempt at a Modern\nSolution of the Jewish Problem. Der Judenstaat_ may properly be called\nHerzl's life work; his philosophy of the world, his views on the\nstate, on the Jewish people, on science and technology, as we have\nseen them developing to this, his thirty-fifth year are concentrated\nin the book. The \"Jewish State\" was published in an edition of three thousand. It\nwas read by small circles in various European capitals. It was sent to\nleading personalities in the press and political circles. It was soon\ntranslated into several languages. Herzl received many letters from\nauthors and statesmen in which the work was praised. But the general\nGerman press, especially the Jewish-controlled press, took a negative\nattitude. A number of journalists alluded to the adventurer who would\nlike to become Prime Minister or King of the Jews. No mention of the\n\"Jewish State\" appeared in the Neue Freie Presse, then or ever. The\nAlgemeine Zeitung of Vienna said that Zionism was a madness born of\ndespair, The Algemeine Zeitung of Munich described it as a fantastic\ndream of a feuilletonist whose mind had been unhinged by Jewish\nenthusiasm. It was upon the Jewish masses that Herzl made a tremendous impression.\nHe dawned upon Jews of Eastern Europe as a mystic figure rising out of\nthe past. Little was known of his pamphlet, for it was kept out of the\ncountry by censorship in Russia. Only its title got their attention\nand the stories told of Herzl--the Western Jew returning to his\npeople--gripped their hearts and stirred their imagination. He was\ngreeted by one of the Galician Zionist societies as the leader who,\nlike Moses, had returned from Midian to liberate the Jews. Max Nordau,\nthat devastating critic of art and literature, was swept off his feet\nand described the pamphlet as a revelation, Richard Beer Hoffman, the\npoet, wrote to Herzl saying \"At last there comes again a man, who does\nnot carry his Judaism with resignation as if it were a burden or a\nmisfortune, but is proud to be the legal heir of an immemorial\nculture.\" It became clear to Herzl that he would have to take an active part in\nthe task he had set forth in \"The Jewish State.\" He no longer felt\nthat he stood alone. He was not inclined to appear on a public\nplatform. He had the shyness of the man who had always written what he\nhad to say. He also felt that it would do more harm than good if his\nideas were to be obscured by his personal presence. Through\ncorrespondence he set in motion Zionist activities--in London, in\nParis, in Berlin, in the United States. The amount of letter-writing\nhe developed was enormous. He decided that there were three tasks to be undertaken at once. The\nfirst was the organization of the Society of Jews. The second was to\ncontinue diplomatic work in Constantinople and among interested\nPowers. The third was the creation of a press to influence public\nopinion and to prepare the Jewish masses for the great migration. Through the Rev. Hechler, a chaplain of the British Embassy in Vienna,\nwho believed in the Jewish return to the Holy Land, Herzl was\nintroduced to the Grand Duke of Baden, a Christian of great piety and\ninfluence in political circles. Herzl intended to use the influence of the Germans to affect the\nSultan and make him more sympathetic to Zionist proposals. Herzl told\nthe Grand Duke that he would like to have Zionism included within the\ncultural sphere of German interests. The Grand Duke said that the\nKaiser seemed inclined to take Jewish migration under German\nprotection. The great powers were interested in maintaining certain\nextra territorial rights within the Turkish Empire. If they had\nnationals in any part of the Empire, they claimed the right to protect\nthem over and above Turkish law. It was, therefore, not the Kaiser's\ninterest in the Jews, but in extending German jurisdiction within the\nTurkish Empire that persuaded him to suggest the adoption of Jews in\nPalestine for that purpose. Germany had a special relationship to\nTurkey. Most of the western powers were openly discussing the\nimpending partition of the Turkish Empire, but Germany was opposed to\nit. Herzl was told that the Kaiser was prepared to see him at the head of\na delegation when he visited Palestine, but Herzl was anxious to see\nthe Kaiser without delay. He suggested an audience before the trip to\nPalestine in order that the Kaiser might be in a position to discuss\nthe Jewish question with the Sultan. The Grand Duke advised Herzl to\nsee Count Philip Zu Eulenberg, the German Ambassador at Vienna. Herzl\nwas given an opportunity to see Count Eulenberg in Vienna. Herzl told\nhim that he wanted His Imperial Majesty to persuade the Sultan to open\nnegotiations with the Jews. The Count passed Herzl over to the German Minister of Foreign Affairs,\nVon Buelow, who happened to be in Vienna at the same time. Van Buelow\nknew a great deal about the Zionist movement. He said that the\ndifficulty lay in persuading the Sultan to deal with the Jews. He felt\ncertain that the Sultan could be impressed if he was properly advised\nby the Kaiser. A week later Herzl was informed of the Kaiser's\ninclination to take the Jews of Palestine under his protection, and\nrepeated that he would like to see Herzl at the head of a delegation\nin Jerusalem, later on. Herzl was afraid of going further in this direction without having in\nexistence the financial instrument without which neither negotiations\nnor colonization could be carried on. Herzl urged David Wolffsohn and\nJacobus Kahn to proceed with the utmost speed to incorporate the\nJewish Colonial Trust. He foresaw the possibility that a demand might\nbe made at any time to show the color of his money. Although the\naffairs of the Bank were in the hands of Wolffsohn and Kahn, Herzl\nhimself worried over every detail, urging and driving and complaining\nabout the slowness of the action. On March 28, 1899 the subscription\nlists were opened. Herzl's expectations were not fulfilled. Only about\n200,000 shares had been sold, three-quarters of them in Russia. The\nBank could not be opened until it had at least 250,000 paid-up shares.\nAfter a great deal of effort, the minimum was finally obtained and the\nTrust was officially opened in time for the opening of the third\nCongress in August, 1899. Herzl addressed a mass meeting in London in October, 1899, under Dr.\nGastner's chairmanship. In his address at this meeting, Herzl said\nthat he believed the time was not far off when the Jewish people would\nbe set in motion. He asked the audience to accept his word even if he\ncould not speak more definitely. \"When I return to you again,\" he\nsaid, \"we shall, I hope, be still further on our path.\" At this\nmeeting Father Ignatius, a Catholic believer in Zionism, referred to\nHerzl \"as a new Joshua who had come to fulfill the words of the\nProphet Ezekiel.\" The effect produced upon the audience was not useful\nto Herzl's purposes at that time. He had always tried to discourage\nthe impression of himself as a Messianic figure. The meeting in London\nwas the only occasion where he lost his self-mastery in public. When Herzl met the Foreign Minister, Von Buelow, again, it was in the\npresence of the Reich Chancellor, Hohenlohe. At once he perceived a\ndifferent nuance in the conversation and a dissonance in comparison\nwith the conversation he had had with Count Eulenberg. He thought that\nthe Chancellor and the Foreign Minister were not in agreement with the\nKaiser and did not dare to say it openly; or, on the other hand, they\nmight be favorably inclined but would not be willing to say it to him. Finally, Herzl saw the Kaiser in Constantinople. After Herzl had\nintroduced the subject of his visit, the Kaiser broke in and explained\nwhy the Zionist movement attracted him. \"There are among your people,\" said the Kaiser, \"certain elements whom\nit would be a good thing to move to Palestine.\" He asked Herzl to submit, in advance, the address he intended to\npresent to him in Jerusalem. When he was asked what the Kaiser should\nplace before the Sultan as the gist of the Jewish proposals, Herzl\nreplied \"a chartered company under German protection.\" Herzl met the Kaiser, as arranged, in Palestine. Herzl arrived in\nJaffa on October 6, 1898. On a Friday morning, he awaited the coming\nof the Kaiser and his entourage on the road that ran by the Colony of\nMikveh Israel. The Kaiser recognized him from a distance. He said a\nfew words about the weather, about the lack of water in Palestine, and\nthat it was a land that had a future. In the petition Herzl later submitted to the Kaiser, many of the\npregnant passages were deleted by the Kaiser's advisers. All passages\nthat referred specifically to the aims of the Zionist movement, to the\ndesperate need of the Jewish people and asking for the Kaiser's\nprotection of a projected Jewish land company for Syria and Palestine,\nhad been removed. The audience with the Kaiser took place on Monday,\nNovember 2nd. The Kaiser thanked Herzl for the address which, he said,\nhad interested him extremely. It was the Kaiser's opinion that the\nsoil was cultivable. What the land lacked was water and shade. \"That we can supply,\" said Herzl. \"It would cost billions, but it will\nbring in billions too.\" \"Well, you certainly have enough money, more than all of us,\" said the\nKaiser. It was a brief interview. It was vague and seemed to lead nowhere.\nHerzl was under the impression that certain influences had been\nexerted between the interview in Constantinople and the audience in\nJerusalem. When the official German communique was issued, the encounter with\nHerzl was hid in a closing paragraph and deprived of all significance.\nThis is how it read: \"Later the Kaiser received the French Consul, also a Jewish deputation\nwhich presented him with an album of pictures of the Jewish colonies\nin Palestine. In reply to an address by the leader of the deputation,\nHis Majesty remarked he viewed with benevolent interest all efforts\ndirected to the improvement of agriculture in Palestine as long as\nthese accorded with the welfare of the Turkish Empire and were\nconducted in a spirit of complete respect for the sovereignty of the\nSultan.\" It was a sudden descent from hope into a closed road. Herzl refused to\nbe discouraged. It was hard for him to realize that the Kaiser's\nenthusiasm in Constantinople could have cooled off so quickly in\nJerusalem, but it seemed that there was no way to continue contact\nwith the people he had interested in Germany. He tried to pick up the\nbroken threads, but, once broken, they could not be revived. The Grand\nDuke of Baden remained ever constant and loyal, but he could do\nnothing. Herzl never saw the Kaiser again. In a letter to the Grand\nDuke, closing this chapter of Zionist history, Herzl said: \"I can only assume that a hope especially dear to me has faded away\nand that we shall not achieve our Zionist goal under a German\nprotectorate.\" At about the same time, Herzl met Philip Michael Von Nevlinski, a\ndescendant of a long line of Polish noblemen who had entered the\ndiplomatic service and became a diplomatic agent-at-large and a French\njournalist. In the first stages, Nevlinski guided Herzl in all the\nwork he did in Constantinople. When Herzl came to Constantinople in\nJune, 1896 he was under the impression that Nevlinski had already\narranged an audience with the Sultan. It was not so easy, however. But\nwhether such an audience had been arranged or not, Herzl was able to\nmeet, a number of highly-placed Turkish officials, including the Grand\nVizier. At first, the line of action was not clear, but by now Herzl\nhad formulated his proposals to the Sultan. Ever since the middle of the nineteenth century, Turkish finances had\nbeen in a shocking condition. The Empire was being badly managed. The\nSultan was regarded as \"the sick man of Europe.\" In 1891 the total\nexternal debt, including unpaid interest, reached the figure of two\nhundred and fifty-three million pounds sterling. In 1881 there was a\nconsolidation of the debt. It was reduced to one hundred and six\nmillion pounds, but the finances of Turkey were placed under the\ncontrol of a committee representing the creditors, to whom was\ntransferred certain domestic Turkish monopolies and the collection of\nseveral categories of taxes. This enabled the European powers to\nintervene in the affairs of Turkey. Only by the removal of this\nforeign tutelage could Turkey hope to regain its independence. It was\nto achieve this end, Herzl thought, that the Jews, and the Jews alone,\ncould be useful. For this service, he intended to ask for a Jewish\nState in Palestine. Herzl followed this line until finally the need\nfor refunding the Turkish debt disappeared. But at this time Herzl was not able to obtain an audience with the\nSultan. Nevlinski reported that such an audience had been refused\nbecause the Sultan declined to discuss sovereignty over Palestine.\nDoubt was expressed as to the accuracy of the report. Whatever the\nfact may be, the first venture of Herzl in Constantinople was not\nsuccessful. Herzl moved along the lines that led to Constantinople and Berlin, but\nhe did not overlook the importance of maintaining contact with Jewish\nphilanthropies. A letter sent to the Baron de Hirsch came a day after\nhis death. Herzl went to London where matters had been arranged for him to meet\nthe leaders of British Jewry. He met Claude Montefiore and Frederick\nMocatte, representatives of the Anglo-Jewish Association. They were\nnot sympathetic. Herzl fared no better at a banquet given to him by\nthe Maccabbeans. The personal impression Herzl made was profound. But\nthere was no practical issue nor did he make any progress during the\ntime he spent in England. He got Sir Samuel Montagu and Colonel\nGoldsmith to agree to cooperate with him in an endeavor to establish a\nvassal Jewish State under the sovereignty of Turkey if the Powers\nwould agree; provided, the Baron de Hirsch Fund placed \u00a310,000,000 at\nhis disposal for the plan; and Baron Edmund de Rothschild became a\nmember of the Executive Committee of the proposed Society of Jews.\nThese conditions were fantastic at that time and Herzl could not meet\nthem. He went to Paris and had a talk with Baron Edmund. Baron Edmund was\nolder than Herzl and felt ill at ease in the presence of a calm critic\nof all he had done for Jewish colonization in Palestine. Herzl made\nthe impression on him of an undisciplined enthusiast. Baron Edmund did\nnot believe it possible to create political conditions favorable for a\nmass immigration of Jews. Even if that could be done, an uncontrolled\nmass immigration into Palestine would have the effect of landing tens\nof thousands of Jews to be fed and looked after by the small Jewish\ncommunity in Palestine. He clung to his idea of slow colonization\nattracting no attention and careful not to provoke hostility. Every\nreply of Herzl fell upon a closed mind. Baron Edmund's refusal to\ncooperate was decisive. This was a decision of historic significance. It turned Herzl away\nfrom the thought that the Zionist movement should be built upon the\nsupport of Jewish philanthropy. All his hopes in this connection were\ndissolved by the contacts he had made in London and in Paris. Baron\nEdmund's refusal to cooperate carried with it the refusal of the Baron\nde Hirsch Fund and of the circle of leading Jews in London. Reluctantly, Herzl came to the conclusion that there was only one\nreply to this situation. The Jewish masses must be organized for the\nsupport of the Zionist movement. The organization he had in mind was not a popular democratic\norganization. What he meant was to assemble the upper \"cadres\" to take\ncharge of the organization of the masses for the great migration. At\nthe same time, he wanted to prove to the philanthropists that a\npopular organization was possible. He felt that they would be greatly\ninfluenced by the development of a widespread popular movement.\nWhatever his thoughts were at that time, his decision to turn to the\nJewish masses, to abandon reliance upon the wealthy led to the\norganization of the modern Zionist movement. He organized his followers in Vienna. He was the center of a circle in\nwhich were included the men who later became the members of the first\nZionist Actions Committee. In November 1896 he, for the first time,\naddressed a public meeting in Vienna. In this address he did not use\nthe term \"The Jewish State,\" nor did he use it in most of his public\nutterances at that time. He had become cautious. He did not want to\nprejudice his political work in Constantinople. He was still thinking of issuing a newspaper, but there were no funds\nfor that purpose. The report that he intended to issue a newspaper\ndrew the attention of a number of personalities and groups in Berlin.\nThere were the Russian Jewish students, led by Leo Motzkin, and a\ngroup called \"Young Israel,\" headed by Reinrich Loewe. A conference\nwas held on March 6 and 7, 1897, called by Dr. Osias Thon Willy Bambus\nand Nathan Birnbaum. They had come together to talk about a newspaper\nbut the First Zionist Congress was launched at this meeting Herzl's\nproposal for the calling of a General Zionist Conference in Munich was\nagreed to. In the preliminary announcement of the calling of this\nConference or Congress, Herzl said: \"The Jewish question must be removed from the control of the\nbenevolent individual. There must be created a forum before which\neveryone acting for the Jewish people should appear and to which he\nshould be responsible.\" Every one of Herzl's ideas was met by protests and public excitement.\nThe protests were usually launched by Jews. The calling of the\nCongress aroused a great deal of indignation in conservative circles.\nThe Rabbis of Germany protested not only to the holding of the\nCongress but also the choice of Munich. The Congress controversy persuaded Herzl to begin the publication of\nthe weekly Die Welt. The first issue appeared on June 4, 1897, Herzl\nprovided the funds. The journal was something new in Jewish life. It\nwas, in fact, the organ of the Congress. Throughout Herzl's life, Die\nWelt served as the exponent of his ideas. At first, Herzl contributed\nnumerous articles. He sent in a regular weekly review of all\nactivities connected with the movement. He was responsible for many\nunsigned articles and notices. He directed the paper in all its\ndetails, although he refused to figure as its official editor and\npublisher. The amount of work he did during the months preceding the\nCongress was amazing. He was completely absorbed in every aspect of\nthe Congress. The man of the pen revealed himself as a first-class man\nof action. On August 29, 1897, the First Zionist Congress was assembled, not in\nMunich but in Basle, Switzerland. The majority of the delegates to the\nFirst Zionist Congress, drawn to Basle from all parts of the world,\nsaw Herzl for the first time. The total number of delegates at the\nfirst session was 197. The first act of the Congress was the adoption of a resolution of\nthanks to the Sultan of Turkey. Then Herzl rose and walked over to the\npulpit. It was no longer the elegant Dr. Herzl of Vienna, it was no\nlonger the easy-going literary man, the critic, the feuilletonist. As\none reporter said: \"It was a scion of the House of David, risen from\namong the dead, clothed in legend and fantasy and beauty.\" The first\nwords uttered by Herzl were: \"We are here to lay the foundation stone\nof the house which is to shelter the Jewish nation.\" \"We Zionists,\" he\nstressed, \"seek for the solution of the Jewish question, not an\ninternational society, but an international discussion.... We have\nnothing to do with conspiracy, secret intervention or indirect\nmethods. We wish to place the question under the control of free\npublic opinion.\" His First Congress address contained the ideas which he had already\nexpressed in previous speeches and articles, but there was a great\ndifference between the views in \"The Jewish State\" and the address\ndelivered at the first session of the Zionist Congress. The latter is\nthe carefully considered public statement of one who knew he\nrepresented tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of\nfollowers. His words were not those of a seer, but of a statesman.\nAlmost as profound was the effect produced. It was at this Congress\nthat the Basle Program was adopted.... \"Zionism seeks to secure for\nthe Jewish people a publicly recognized, legally secured home (or\nhomeland) in Palestine.\" The second important task of the First Congress was the creation of an\norganization. The Congress was declared to be \"the chief organ of the\nZionist movement.\" The basis of electoral right was to be the payment\nof a shekel, which at that time was equivalent to twenty-five cents.\nThere was to be an Executive Committee with its permanent seat in\nVienna. Everything which was to unfold later in Zionism, both in the\nway of affirmative forces and inner contradictions, was already\nvisible or latent in the first Congress. There was discussion of a\nbank, of a land redemption fund to be called The National Fund, the\ncreation of a Hebrew University, and the clashes between practical and\npolitical Zionism. On his return to Vienna, Herzl made the following entry in his diary:\n\"If I were to sum up the Basle Congress in a single phrase I would\nsay: In Basle I created the Jewish State. Were I to say this aloud I\nwould be greeted by universal laughter. But perhaps five years hence,\nin any case, certainly fifty years hence, everyone will perceive it.\nThe state exists as essence in the will-to-the-state of a people, yes,\neven in that will in a single powerful person.... The territory is\nonly the concrete basis, and the state itself, with a territory\nbeneath it, is still in the nature of an abstract thing ... In Basle I\ncreated the abstraction which, as such, is invisible to the great\nmajority.\" All that Herzl did in the political field--his conversations in\nConstantinople, his interview with the Grand Duke of Baden in advance\nof the holding of the First Congress, was undertaken as author of a\npolitical pamphlet. He was now aware of the fact that he was called\nupon to act as President of the World Zionist Organization. It was\ndifficult to draw a line between the movement and its leader. Herzl\ninsisted that his leadership in the movement was impersonal and that\nnow its direction was vested in its instruments--the Congress and the\nActions Committee. But he had all the authority of an accepted leader. The evolution of Herzl's conception of the Jewish problem since he saw\nthe degradation of Dreyfus can be measured by a study of the articles\nhe wrote after the First Congress. He himself was quite aware of the\ntransformation. He had seen the Jewish people face to face. \"Brothers\nhave found each other again,\" he said. He wrote with great\nappreciation of the quality of the Russian delegates. He said, \"They\npossess that inner unity which has disappeared from among the\nwesterners. They are steeped in Jewish national sentiment without\nbetraying any national narrowness and intolerance. They are not\ntortured by the idea of assimilation. They do not assimilate into\nother nations, but exert themselves to learn the best in other\npeoples. In this way they manage to remain erect and genuine. Looking\non them, we understood where our forefathers got the strength to\nendure through the bitterest times.\" Immediately after the First Congress, Herzl grappled with his second\ntask, the creation of the Jewish Colonial Bank. He wrote of the bank\nin _Die Welt_ in November, 1898, \"The task of the Colonial Bank is to\neliminate philanthropy. The settler on the land who increases its\nvalue by his labor merits more than a gift. He is entitled to credit.\nThe prospective bank could therefore begin by extending the needed\ncredits to the colonists; later it would expand into the instrument\nfor the bringing in of Jews and would supply credits for\ntransportation, agriculture, commerce and construction.\" The seat of the bank was to be London. There were to be two billion\nshares at \u00a31 each. The bank was to be directed by men acquainted with\nbanking affairs, but the movement would be placed in a position to\ncontrol its policy. The hopes of Herzl grew from week to week. As he\napproached the practical situation he became less and less confident\nof the cooperation of men of wealth. Differences arose in the\npreliminary discussions as to the scope of the bank. In the first\ndraft of the Articles of Incorporation the Orient alone was named as\nthe area of work for the bank. Menachem Ussishkin insisted that the\nwords \"Syria and Palestine\" should be substituted. After a great deal\nof discussion, the proposals for the formation of the bank were\nbrought to the second Zionist Congress and the Articles of\nIncorporation, as amended, were adopted by acclamation. Herzl clung to the idea which had come to him when he was thinking of\nthe Jewish State as a pamphlet, that it might be better for him to\nwrite a novel. The impulse to write such a novel became irresistible\nafter his visit to Palestine. It was to be called \"Altneuland.\" He\nbegan to write it in 1899. It was completed in April 1902, and\npublished six months later. It is remarkable that he could write such\na novel while engaged in varied political activities in\nConstantinople, in London and in Berlin; and while he had to deal with\nthe many troublesome internal Zionist problems. \"Altneuland\" was a novel with a purpose. It described the Palestine of\nthe near future as it would develop through the Zionist Movement. It\nhad the weaknesses of every propaganda novel. The entire work has\nsomething of the state about it and proceeds in the form of scenes\nrather than by way of narrative. Each type has a specific outlook.\nMost of the characters are portraits of living personalities. It was\nhis purpose to memorialize his friends and his opponents. \"Altneuland\" tells of a Jew who visits Palestine in 1898 and then\ncomes again in 1923 when he finds the Promised Land developed under\nJewish influence. Its territory lies East and West of the Jordan. The\ndead land of 1898 is now thoroughly alive. Its real creators were the\nirrigation engineers. Technology had given a new form to labor, a new\nsocial and economic system had been created which is described as\n\"mutualistic,\" a huge cooperative, a mediate form between\nindividualism and collectivism. Haifa had become a world city. Around\nthe Holy City of Jerusalem, modern suburbs had arisen, shaded\nboulevards and parks, institutes of learning, places of amusement,\nmarkets--\"a world city in the spirit of the twentieth century.\" In\nthis new land, the Arabs live side by side in friendship with the\nJews. \"Altneuland\" did not produce the effect Herzl had expected. Within the\nZionist Movement it did more harm than good. Many of Herzl's friends\nwere disappointed that the novel should have so little of the Jewish\nspirit. It ignored the Hebraic renaissance. The novel evoked the\nsharpest criticism from Achad Haam.        *       *       *       *       * While Herzl was immersed in political action, visiting European\ncapitals, carrying on correspondence with leading persons whose\ninterest in Zionism he had engaged, and submitting reports to the\nZionist Congress or to the Actions Committee, often facing critical\nsituations in his struggle with growing Zionist parties, the Zionist\nOrganization was gradually becoming an accepted institution in Jewish\nlife. It was the international sounding board for the discussion of\nthe Jewish question. The Jewish National Fund was founded at the\nFourth Congress held in London in 1900. The Jewish Colonial Trust was\nfinally established with headquarters in London. The first Zionist party in the Congress was the Democratic faction led\nby Leo Motzkin, but soon there were added the Mizrachi party and the\nbeginnings of a labor party. Not only Dr. Nordau's stirring addresses,\nbut many controversies \"made\" Congresses. The cultural issue was a\nCongress perennial. Many discussions also took place around what was\ncalled the issue of \"practical\" and \"political\" Zionism. The Russians,\nunder the leadership of Ussishkin, were all heartily against the\n\"charter\" emphasis and drove with maddening persistence for immediate\nwork in Palestine. In the course of these debates, continued over the\nyears, the Congress became a forum for the discussion of international\nJewish problems and developed speakers and theorists of varying\ndegrees of talent. It also produced men with hobbies. The Jewish\nNational Fund and the Hebrew University was the hobby of Dr. Herman\nSchapiro. Colonization in Cyprus was the hobby of Davis Trietsch, who\ncreated many scenes on the floor of the Congress. Dr. Chaim Weizmann\nwas not only a leader of the Democratic faction, crossing swords time\nand again with Herzl, but devoted much time and thought to the idea of\na Hebrew University. The procedure of the Congress, based on\nContinental models, was gradually worked out and became fixed, and\nmany of the delegates were adepts in the art of procedural sparring.\nThe language in Congresses used during Herzl's life was German, but\ngradually the imperfect use of German by East European Zionists led to\nthe development of what was called \"Congress German.\" This was a form\nof German that was easy to use, because respect for grammar and\npronunciation was not required. During the Congresses Herzl maintained throughout the role of leader\nand moderator. His manner was gracious and he never lost his sense of\ndignity. He was capable of sharp retort, but always bore in mind that\nit was high duty to hold a balance and to seek compromise rather than\nsharp division. He developed it in a most remarkable way on the\nplatform. His appearances were dramatic. His interventions were\narresting. The man of the writing desk developed as one of the ablest\nin the parliamentary arts. After some of the Congresses he had to\nretire to a health resort, having exhausted his strength and bringing\non a recurrence of his heart trouble. On a number of occasions his\nclose friends feared for his life. But after a few weeks of rest he\nusually returned stronger than before and with greater determination\nto pursue his course, regardless of the consequences to himself.        *       *       *       *       * At this point it is important to refer to his family life. He had\nmarried Julie Naschauer on July 25, 1889. She was the daughter of\nwealthy parents and grew up in a conventional social circle. When she\nmarried Herzl he was already a rising young author who was highly\nregarded among those with whom she associated. He was attractive,\naristocratic in bearing, a keen conversationalist and had all the\nqualities of being a conventional partner of a conventional wife. But\nHerzl threw himself into Zionist affairs with such tremendous dynamic\nactivity and was so completely absorbed in the idea which his thinking\nhad given birth to, that except for occasional interim periods, his\nfamily played a secondary part in his life ever after he had taken up\nthe Jewish problems his special task in life. Julie Herzl also\nsuffered by reason of Herzl's devotion to his own mother. Herzl never\nrid himself of his filial dependence which made it very hard for his\nwife to understand. They had three children. In 1890 a daughter was\nborn and named Paula or Pauline. In 1891 his son, Hans, was born,\nwhose life after his father's death became a serious problem. There\nwas a third child, a daughter Margaret, known as Trude, who was born\nin May 1893. During this period there were many separations from his\nfamily. There were disagreements and reconciliations, but the cup of\nunhappiness for Julie Herzl overflowed when Herzl became the official\nleader of a public movement. From that time on her home was constantly\noverrun with unwelcome visitors. Not only did Herzl give his life to\nthe movement in the literal sense, but he gave his reserve of funds\nand sacrificed the welfare of his family for the sake of the movement\nhe had brought to life. His domestic affairs as well as his failing\nheart, made all the years of Herzl's brief Zionist life pain and\nstruggle. The tragic position of Jews in various parts of Europe, greatly\nagitated Herzl during the time he was carrying on negotiations with\nthe Kaiser and the Sultan. He was constantly being led to the thought\nthat it would become necessary to find a temporary haven of refuge for\nJews. In 1899 a series of pogroms broke out in Galicia. In his diary\nat the time, he had references to England and Cyprus, \"we may even\nhave to consider South Africa or America.\" But he banished these\nthoughts from his mind because he knew that the Zionists would place\nserious obstacles in the way of considering any project other than\nPalestine. When his hopes with regard to Germany had collapsed,\nhowever, he thought of these alternative proposals again.        *       *       *       *       * On October 22, 1902 a Conference between Joseph Chamberlain, the\nColonial Secretary, and Herzl took place. Chamberlain had been in the\nColonial Office since 1895. He held an influential position in the\ncouncils of the British Government. He was a man of strong will and\npolitical integrity. Herzl submitted his plan for the colonization of\nCyprus and the Sinai Peninsula, which included El Arish--\"Jewish\nsettlers under a Jewish administration.\" Chamberlain said that he could speak definitely only about Cyprus. The\nSinai Peninsula came under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Office. As\nfar as Cyprus was concerned, he believed that it was not promising\nbecause the Greeks and Moslems would object, and it would be his\nofficial duty to side with them. He took a more favorable view,\nhowever, of El Arish. In that connection, it was necessary for Herzl\nto talk to Lord Lansdowne of the Foreign Office. A great deal would\ndepend upon the good-will of Lord Cromer, the British Consul General\nin Egypt, and actually the Vice Regent of that country. Through the\ngood offices of Chamberlain, it became possible for Herzl to meet\nLord Lansdowne a few days later. He was well received and was\nlistened to with a great deal of attention. Herzl was asked to submit a written expose. Then he asked for\npermission to have Leopold J. Greenberg go to Egypt and confer with\nLord Cromer. Lord Lansdowne said that he would arrange for such a\nmeeting. Greenberg discussed the matter with Lord Cromer in Cairo.\nThere were objections raised by both Lord Cromer and the Egyptian\nPrime Minister on the ground that an attempted Jewish economy,\nundertaken in 1891-2 in the region of ancient Midian, had been a\npitiful failure. There had been political complications and border\ndisputes with Turkey. A definitive reply was received by Herzl on December 18, 1902 written\non behalf of Lord Lansdowne by Sir T.H. Sanderson, permanent\nUndersecretary. Lord Lansdowne had heard from Lord Cromer, who favored\nthe sending of a small commission to the Sinai Peninsula to report on\nconditions and prospects, but Lord Cromer feared that no sanguine\nhopes of success should be entertained, but if the report of the\nCommission turned out favorable, the Egyptian Government would\ncertainly offer liberal terms for Jewish colonization. On the other hand, however, the Zionists should understand that they\nwould be expected to meet the cost of a defense corps and to guarantee\nthe administration. In Lord Cromer's opinion, the most important\nquestion was that of the rights which Herzl expected for the projected\nsettlement. He wrote: \"In your letter of the 12th ult. you remark that\nyou will become great and promising by the granting of this right of\ncolonization. Your letter does not make clear what is to be understood\nby these words, and what kind of rights the colonists will expect.\" Lord Lansdowne also touched on the question of the new citizenship of\nthe settlers. Herzl had believed that he would have only Englishmen to\ndeal with, since England had become more and more the master of Egypt.\nIt was apparent, however, that the Egyptian Government also played an\nimportant part in the discussions. Lord Cromer confirmed that the Egyptian Government would make it an\nessential condition that the new settlers become Turkish subjects\nbound by Egyptian law, but while the British occupation continued the\nsettlers would always be certain of fair treatment. Herzl was satisfied with this letter and described it as a historic\ndocument. The British Government had recognized Herzl as the Zionist\nleader, and the movement represented by him as a negotiating party. He\nalready saw the \"Egyptian province of Judea\" under a Jewish Governor,\nwith its own defense corps under Anglo-Egyptian officers. As a result of the English negotiations, Lord Rothschild seemed to be\nwon over by Herzl. The old banker, who had refused two years before to\nmeet the Zionist leader, now visited him in his hotel. The next task\nbefore Herzl was the organization of the Commission. The Commission\nwas composed of the South African engineer, Kessler; the Chief\nInspector of the Egyptian Survey Department, Humphreys; Col. Goldsmith\nwas to report on the land; and Dr. Soskin was to study agricultural\npossibilities. Oscar Marmorek was to investigate building and housing\nproblems and act as General Secretary. Dr. Hillel Jaffe of the Jaffe\nHospital was to deal with the problems of climate and hygiene. The Commission met with great difficulties. There was opposition by\nthe Turks. There was misunderstandings between Herzl and Greenberg.\nHerzl himself went to Egypt in order to bring the negotiations to a\nconclusion and to straighten out difficulties. His intervention in no\nway improved the situation. Lord Cromer had become very cool toward\nhim. He received the general report of the Commission, which observed\nthat \"under existing conditions the land is quite unsuitable for\nsettlers from European countries, but if sufficient irrigation were\nintroduced, the agricultural, hygienic and climatic conditions are\nsuch that part of the land, which is at present wilderness, could\nsupport a considerable population.\" An application for the concession was made by Herzl on the advice of\nLord Cromer, having as his legal representative a Belgian lawyer of\nhigh standing. The Egyptian Government did not receive with favor the\noutline of the concession. Herzl was received on April 23rd by\nChamberlain, who had just returned from his African journey.\nChamberlain listened to the report given by Herzl on the work of the\nCommission. Both regarded the report as unfavorable. Then Chamberlain\nmade this remark: \"On my travels I saw a country for you, Uganda. On the coast it is\nhot, but in the interior the climate is excellent for Europeans. You\ncan plant cotton and sugar. I thought to myself, that is just the\ncountry for Dr. Herzl. But _he_ must have Palestine, and will move\nonly into its vicinity.\" This was the first reference to Uganda which became the center of\nattention in Zionist circles. Herzl was told that the Egyptian Government would reject the plan. It\nwas found that the area would require five times as much water as had\nbeen first estimated. The Egyptian Government could not permit the\ndiversion of such a quantity of water from the Nile. An attempt to have Chamberlain intervene with Egypt was not\nsuccessful. \"That being the case,\" said Chamberlain, \"What about\nUganda?\" Self-administration would be accorded. The Governor could\ndefinitely be a Jew. Although the matter belonged to the Foreign\nOffice, he would have it transferred under his jurisdiction in the\ncolonial office. The territory would be the permanent property of a\ncolonization company created for the purpose. After five years, the\nsettlers would be given complete autonomy. The name of the settlement\nwas to be \"New Palestine.\" Herzl pressed for a reply from the government in order that the\nproject might be presented to the Zionist Congress on August 14, 1903.\nThe official proposal came from Sir Clement Hill, permanent head of\nthe Foreign Office. In this letter it was stated that Lord Landsdowne\nhad studied the question with the interest which His Majesty's\nGovernment always felt bound to take in every serious plan destined to\nbetter the condition of the Jewish race. The time had been too short\nfor a closer examination of the plan and for its submission to the\nBritish representative for the East African (Uganda) Protectorate.\n\"Lord Landsdowne assumes,\" the letter continues, \"that the Bank\ndesires to send a number of gentlemen to the East African Protectorate\nto establish whether there is in that territory land suitable for the\npurpose in view; should this prove to be the case, he will be happy to\ngive them every assistance in bringing them together with His\nMajesty's Congress, the conditions under which the settlement could be\ncarried out. Should an area be found which the bank and His Majesty's\nrepresentative consider suitable, and His Majesty's government\nconsider desirable, Lord Lansdowne will be glad to consider favorably\nproposals for the creation of a Jewish colony or settlement under such\nconditions as will seem to the members to guarantee the retention of\ntheir national customs....\" The document went on with an offer--subject to the consent of the\nrelevant officials--of a Jewish governorship and internal autonomy. This was the first official proposal in connection with the Zionist\nmovement which Herzl was able to submit to a Zionist Congress. When\nthe letter of Sir Clement Hill was submitted to the Sixth Zionist\nCongress in 1903, it split the Zionist movement wide open. It arrayed\nthe overwhelming majority of Zionists in Russia against Herzl and he\nwas called upon to defend himself against a general attack which\npreceded the convening of the Congress. When the Congress was convened\nin an atmosphere of great excitement and partisan controversy, the\nUganda project was submitted in the form of an official resolution\ncalling for the appointment of a commission of nine to be sent to\ninvestigate conditions in East Africa. The final decision on the\nreport of the investigating committee was to be left to a special\nCongress. Although the vote showed a majority in favor of the official\nresolution--the tally was 295 for, 177 against, and 100 absentees--the\ndebate on the resolution revealed an overwhelming opposition to the\nproject. It was regarded as an abandonment of Palestine in favor of a\ndiversion. After the vote, the Russian delegates left the Congress in\na body. All the opposition delegates left with them and met in\nconference to discuss the situation. When Herzl heard of the deep\nfeeling that prevailed in the conference, he asked for the privilege\nof speaking to the opposition. He gave them his solemn assurance that\nthe Basle Program would be unaffected by the resolution. He swore\nfealty to the Basle Program, to Zion and Jerusalem. His speech\nrevealed the great transformation that had taken place in Herzl's\norganic relation to the Zionist movement. The opposition delegates\nfelt that in spite of Herzl's seeking alternately one or another\nsubstitute for Palestine, his heart responded without reserve to the\nappeal of Zion. The opposition reappeared in the Congress the\nfollowing day. They exacted assurances that the funds of the Jewish\nColonial Trust, of the Jewish National Fund and the Shekel Income,\nshould not be used for the commission investigating East Africa, and\nthat the commission should report to the Greater Actions Committee\nbefore it appeared to submit its report to the Congress. Herzl's experience at what is called the \"Uganda Congress\" drew him\nnearer to the older Zionists. He realized now that the ultimate goal\ncould not be reached within the near future, that Uganda was merely a\ncompromise achievement, providing the field of preparation for a\nsecond attempt to reach Zion. The Congress of 1903 was the climax of\nHerzl's career. It was, in effect, the end of his quest. Later, the East African project became a matter of lesser importance\nin the eyes of the English. The English colonists in East Africa\ndeclared their opposition to a Jewish settlement. A Zionist opposition\nwas organized, led by Menahem Ussishkin, who was not present at the\nUganda Congress. The Charkov Conference of Russian Zionists was\ncalled. Herzl was charged with having violated the Basle Program. The\nCharkov Conference disclaimed responsibility for all actions in the\ndirection of East Africa. It appointed a committee of three to\ncommunicate their demands to Herzl. They asked that he promise that he\nwould not place before the Congress any territorial projects other\nthan those connected with Palestine or Syria, and that he would take\nEast Africa off the agenda. By now Herzl would have been pleased to\nlet the East African project disappear from the agenda; it was clear\nthat the English government was not greatly interested and was seeking\na way out; but the devious route of political action, once started,\ncould not so easily be halted; Herzl found himself chained to a\npolitical reality. Throughout his Zionist life, Herzl suffered from a heart ailment\nwhich became more and more acute as he was taken up by the excitements\nand activities of the Movement. He became aware of his illness soon\nafter he had written \"The Jewish State.\" He had premonitions of the\nfatal consequences but persisted in carrying the burden of the\nMovement himself, consuming all his strength in the process. At\nintervals he was forced to take rest cures. On a number of occasions\nit was thought that he had reached the end of his strength. When he\nwas grappling with the Uganda project, York-Steiner, an intimate\nfriend, wrote of his appearance: \"The imposing figure is now stooped,\nthe face sallow, the eyes--the mirrors of a fine soul--were darkened,\nthe mouth was drawn in pain and marked by passion.\" He was almost at the brink of the grave. In May, an alarming change\nfor the worse occurred in the condition of his heart muscles. He was\nordered to Franzienbad for six weeks, but the rest did him no good. On\nJune 3, he left with his wife and several friends for Edlach in\nSemmering. He knew that this was his last journey. Then there was a\nslight improvement and he returned to his desk. But he rapidly grew\nworse. To the faithful Hechler he said, \"Give them all my greetings\nand tell them that I have given my heart's blood for my people.\" On\nJuly 3, pneumonia set in and there were signs of approaching\nexhaustion. His mother arrived, then his two younger children, Hans\nand Trude. At five in the afternoon, his physician who had taken his\neyes off the patient for a moment, heard a deep sigh. When he turned,\nhe saw Herzl's head sunk on his breast. In his will Herzl asked that his body be buried next to his father,\n\"to remain there until the Jewish people will carry my remains to\nPalestine.\" When the Russians entered Vienna in 1945 the remains of\nHerzl were still there.  \n_The Jewish State_ by _Theodor Herzl_  \n_Preface_ \nThe idea which I have developed in this pamphlet is a very old one: it\nis the restoration of the Jewish State. The world resounds with outcries against the Jews, and these outcries\nhave awakened the slumbering idea. I wish it to be clearly understood from the outset that no portion of\nmy argument is based on a new discovery. I have discovered neither the\nhistoric condition of the Jews nor the means to improve it. In fact,\nevery man will see for himself that the materials of the structure I\nam designing are not only in existence, but actually already in hand.\nIf, therefore, this attempt to solve the Jewish Question is to be\ndesignated by a single word, let it be said to be the result of an\ninescapable conclusion rather than that of a flighty imagination. I must, in the first place, guard my scheme from being treated as\nUtopian by superficial critics who might commit this error of judgment\nif I did not warn them. I should obviously have done nothing to be\nashamed of if I had described a Utopia on philanthropic lines; and I\nshould also, in all probability, have obtained literary success more\neasily if I had set forth my plan in the irresponsible guise of a\nromantic tale. But this Utopia is far less attractive than any one of\nthose portrayed by Sir Thomas More and his numerous forerunners and\nsuccessors. And I believe that the situation of the Jews in many\ncountries is grave enough to make such preliminary trifling\nsuperfluous. An interesting book, \"Freiland,\" by Dr. Theodor Hertzka, which\nappeared a few years ago, may serve to mark the distinction I draw\nbetween my conception and a Utopia. His is the ingenious invention of\na modern mind thoroughly schooled in the principles of political\neconomy, it is as remote from actuality as the Equatorial mountain on\nwhich his dream State lies. \"Freiland\" is a complicated piece of\nmechanism with numerous cogged wheels fitting into each other; but\nthere is nothing to prove that they can be set in motion. Even\nsupposing \"Freiland societies\" were to come into existence, I should\nlook on the whole thing as a joke. The present scheme, on the other hand, includes the employment of an\nexistent propelling force. In consideration of my own inadequacy, I\nshall content myself with indicating the cogs and wheels of the\nmachine to be constructed, and I shall rely on more skilled\nmechanicians than myself to put them together. Everything depends on our propelling force. And what is that force?\nThe misery of the Jews. Who would venture to deny its existence? We shall discuss it fully in\nthe chapter on the causes of Anti-Semitism. Everybody is familiar with the phenomenon of steam-power, generated by\nboiling water, which lifts the kettle-lid. Such tea-kettle phenomena\nare the attempts of Zionist and kindred associations to check\nAnti-Semitism. I believe that this power, if rightly employed, is powerful enough to\npropel a large engine and to move passengers and goods: the engine\nhaving whatever form men may choose to give it. I am absolutely convinced that I am right, though I doubt whether I\nshall live to see myself proved to be so. Those who are the first to\ninaugurate this movement will scarcely live to see its glorious close.\nBut the inauguration of it is enough to give them a feeling of pride\nand the joy of spiritual freedom. I shall not be lavish in artistically elaborated descriptions of my\nproject, for fear of incurring the suspicion of painting a Utopia. I\nanticipate, in any case, that thoughtless scoffers will caricature my\nsketch and thus try to weaken its effect. A Jew, intelligent in other\nrespects, to whom I explained my plan, was of the opinion that \"a\nUtopia was a project whose future details were represented as already\nextant.\" This is a fallacy. Every Chancellor of the Exchequer\ncalculates in his Budget estimates with assumed figures, and not only\nwith such as are based on the average returns of past years, or on\nprevious revenues in other States, but sometimes with figures for\nwhich there is no precedent whatever; as for example, in instituting a\nnew tax. Everybody who studies a Budget knows that this is the case.\nBut even if it were known that the estimates would not be rigidly\nadhered to, would such a financial draft be considered Utopian? But I am expecting more of my readers. I ask the cultivated men whom I\nam addressing to set many preconceived ideas entirely aside. I shall\neven go so far as to ask those Jews who have most earnestly tried to\nsolve the Jewish Question to look upon their previous attempts as\nmistaken and futile. I must guard against a danger in setting forth my idea. If I describe\nfuture circumstances with too much caution I shall appear to doubt\ntheir possibility. If, on the other hand, I announce their realization\nwith too much assurance I shall appear to be describing a chimera. I shall therefore clearly and emphatically state that I believe in the\npractical outcome of my scheme, though without professing to have\ndiscovered the shape it may ultimately take. The Jewish State is\nessential to the world; it will therefore be created. The plan would, of course, seem absurd if a single individual\nattempted to do it; but if worked by a number of Jews in co-operation\nit would appear perfectly rational, and its accomplishment would\npresent no difficulties worth mentioning. The idea depends only on the\nnumber of its supporters. Perhaps our ambitious young men, to whom\nevery road of progress is now closed, seeing in this Jewish State a\nbright prospect of freedom, happiness and honors opening to them, will\nensure the propagation of the idea. I feel that with the publication of this pamphlet my task is done. I\nshall not again take up the pen, unless the attacks of noteworthy\nantagonists drive me to do so, or it becomes necessary to meet\nunforeseen objections and to remove errors. Am I stating what is not yet the case? Am I before my time? Are the\nsufferings of the Jews not yet grave enough? We shall see. It depends on the Jews themselves whether this political pamphlet\nremains for the present a political romance. If the present generation\nis too dull to understand it rightly, a future, finer and a better\ngeneration will arise to understand it. The Jews who wish for a State\nshall have it, and they will deserve to have it.  \n_Chapter I. Introduction_ \nIt is astonishing how little insight into the science of economics\nmany of the men who move in the midst of active life possess. Hence it\nis that even Jews faithfully repeat the cry of the Anti-Semites: \"We\ndepend for sustenance on the nations who are our hosts, and if we had\nno hosts to support us we should die of starvation.\" This is a point\nthat shows how unjust accusations may weaken our self-knowledge. But\nwhat are the true grounds for this statement concerning the nations\nthat act as \"hosts\"? Where it is not based on limited physiocratic\nviews it is founded on the childish error that commodities pass from\nhand to hand in continuous rotation. We need not wake from long\nslumber, like Rip van Winkle, to realize that the world is\nconsiderably altered by the production of new commodities. The\ntechnical progress made during this wonderful era enables even a man\nof most limited intelligence to note with his short-sighted eyes the\nappearance of new commodities all around him. The spirit of enterprise\nhas created them. Labor without enterprise is the stationary labor of ancient days; and\ntypical of it is the work of the husbandman, who stands now just where\nhis progenitors stood a thousand years ago. All our material welfare\nhas been brought about by men of enterprise. I feel almost ashamed of\nwriting down so trite a remark. Even if we were a nation of\nentrepreneurs--such as absurdly exaggerated accounts make us out to\nbe--we should not require another nation to live on. We do not depend\non the circulation of old commodities, because we produce new ones. The world possesses slaves of extraordinary capacity for work, whose\nappearance has been fatal to the production of handmade goods: these\nslaves are the machines. It is true that workmen are required to set\nmachinery in motion; but for this we have men in plenty, in\nsuper-abundance. Only those who are ignorant of the conditions of Jews\nin many countries of Eastern Europe would venture to assert that Jews\nare either unfit or unwilling to perform manual labor. But I do not wish to take up the cudgels for the Jews in this\npamphlet. It would be useless. Everything rational and everything\nsentimental that can possibly be said in their defence has been said\nalready. If one's hearers are incapable of comprehending them, one is\na preacher in a desert. And if one's hearers are broad and high-minded\nenough to have grasped them already, then the sermon is superfluous. I\nbelieve in the ascent of man to higher and yet higher grades of\ncivilization; but I consider this ascent to be desperately slow. Were\nwe to wait till average humanity had become as charitably inclined as\nwas Lessing when he wrote \"Nathan the Wise,\" we should wait beyond our\nday, beyond the days of our children, of our grandchildren, and of our\ngreat-grandchildren. But the world's spirit comes to our aid in\nanother way. This century has given the world a wonderful renaissance by means of\nits technical achievements; but at the same time its miraculous\nimprovements have not been employed in the service of humanity.\nDistance has ceased to be an obstacle, yet we complain of insufficient\nspace. Our great steamships carry us swiftly and surely over hitherto\nunvisited seas. Our railways carry us safely into a mountain-world\nhitherto tremblingly scaled on foot. Events occurring in countries\nundiscovered when Europe confined the Jews in Ghettos are known to us\nin the course of an hour. Hence the misery of the Jews is an\nanachronism--not because there was a period of enlightenment one\nhundred years ago, for that enlightenment reached in reality only the\nchoicest spirits. I believe that electric light was not invented for the purpose of\nilluminating the drawing-rooms of a few snobs, but rather for the\npurpose of throwing light on some of the dark problems of humanity.\nOne of these problems, and not the least of them, is the Jewish\nquestion. In solving it we are working not only for ourselves, but\nalso for many other over-burdened and oppressed beings. The Jewish question still exists. It would be foolish to deny it. It\nis a remnant of the Middle Ages, which civilized nations do not even\nyet seem able to shake off, try as they will. They certainly showed a\ngenerous desire to do so when they emancipated us. The Jewish question\nexists wherever Jews live in perceptible numbers. Where it does not\nexist, it is carried by Jews in the course of their migrations. We\nnaturally move to those places where we are not persecuted, and there\nour presence produces persecution. This is the case in every country,\nand will remain so, even in those highly civilized--for instance,\nFrance--until the Jewish question finds a solution on a political\nbasis. The unfortunate Jews are now carrying the seeds of\nAnti-Semitism into England; they have already introduced it into\nAmerica. I believe that I understand Anti-Semitism, which is really a highly\ncomplex movement. I consider it from a Jewish standpoint, yet without\nfear or hatred. I believe that I can see what elements there are in it\nof vulgar sport, of common trade jealousy, of inherited prejudice, of\nreligious intolerance, and also of pretended self-defence. I think the\nJewish question is no more a social than a religious one,\nnotwithstanding that it sometimes takes these and other forms. It is a\nnational question, which can only be solved by making it a political\nworld-question to be discussed and settled by the civilized nations of\nthe world in council. We are a people--one people. We have honestly endeavored everywhere to merge ourselves in the\nsocial life of surrounding communities and to preserve the faith of\nour fathers. We are not permitted to do so. In vain are we loyal\npatriots, our loyalty in some places running to extremes; in vain do\nwe make the same sacrifices of life and property as our\nfellow-citizens; in vain do we strive to increase the fame of our\nnative land in science and art, or her wealth by trade and commerce.\nIn countries where we have lived for centuries we are still cried down\nas strangers, and often by those whose ancestors were not yet\ndomiciled in the land where Jews had already had experience of\nsuffering. The majority may decide which are the strangers; for this,\nas indeed every point which arises in the relations between nations,\nis a question of might. I do not here surrender any portion of our\nprescriptive right, when I make this statement merely in my own name\nas an individual. In the world as it now is and for an indefinite\nperiod will probably remain, might precedes right. It is useless,\ntherefore, for us to be loyal patriots, as were the Huguenots who were\nforced to emigrate. If we could only be left in peace.... But I think we shall not be left in peace. Oppression and persecution cannot exterminate us. No nation on earth\nhas survived such struggles and sufferings as we have gone through.\nJew-baiting has merely stripped off our weaklings; the strong among us\nwere invariably true to their race when persecution broke out against\nthem. This attitude was most clearly apparent in the period\nimmediately following the emancipation of the Jews. Those Jews who\nwere advanced intellectually and materially entirely lost the feeling\nof belonging to their race. Wherever our political well-being has\nlasted for any length of time, we have assimilated with our\nsurroundings. I think this is not discreditable. Hence, the statesman\nwho would wish to see a Jewish strain in his nation would have to\nprovide for the duration of our political well-being; and even a\nBismarck could not do that. For old prejudices against us still lie deep in the hearts of the\npeople. He who would have proofs of this need only listen to the\npeople where they speak with frankness and simplicity: proverb and\nfairy-tale are both Anti-Semitic. A nation is everywhere a great\nchild, which can certainly be educated; but its education would, even\nin most favorable circumstances, occupy such a vast amount of time\nthat we could, as already mentioned, remove our own difficulties by\nother means long before the process was accomplished. Assimilation, by which I understood not only external conformity in\ndress, habits, customs, and language, but also identity of feeling and\nmanner--assimilation of Jews could be effected only by intermarriage.\nBut the need for mixed marriages would have to be felt by the\nmajority; their mere recognition by law would certainly not suffice. The Hungarian Liberals, who have just given legal sanction to mixed\nmarriages, have made a remarkable mistake which one of the earliest\ncases clearly illustrates; a baptized Jew married a Jewess. At the\nsame time the struggle to obtain the present form of marriage\naccentuated distinctions between Jews and Christians, thus hindering\nrather than aiding the fusion of races. Those who really wished to see the Jews disappear through intermixture\nwith other nations, can only hope to see it come about in one way. The\nJews must previously acquire economic power sufficiently great to\novercome the old social prejudice against them. The aristocracy may\nserve as an example of this, for in its ranks occur the\nproportionately largest numbers of mixed marriages. The Jewish\nfamilies which regild the old nobility with their money become\ngradually absorbed. But what form would this phenomenon assume in the\nmiddle classes, where (the Jews being a bourgeois people) the Jewish\nquestion is mainly concentrated? A previous acquisition of power could\nbe synonymous with that economic supremacy which Jews are already\nerroneously declared to possess. And if the power they now possess\ncreates rage and indignation among the Anti-Semites, what outbreaks\nwould such an increase of power create? Hence the first step towards\nabsorption will never be taken, because this step would involve the\nsubjection of the majority to a hitherto scorned minority, possessing\nneither military nor administrative power of its own. I think,\ntherefore, that the absorption of Jews by means of their prosperity is\nunlikely to occur. In countries which now are Anti-Semitic my view\nwill be approved. In others, where Jews now feel comfortable, it will\nprobably be violently disputed by them. My happier co-religionists\nwill not believe me till Jew-baiting teaches them the truth; for the\nlonger Anti-Semitism lies in abeyance the more fiercely will it break\nout. The infiltration of immigrating Jews, attracted to a land by\napparent security, and the ascent in the social scale of native Jews,\ncombine powerfully to bring about a revolution. Nothing is plainer\nthan this rational conclusion. Because I have drawn this conclusion with complete indifference to\neverything but the quest of truth, I shall probably be contradicted\nand opposed by Jews who are in easy circumstances. Insofar as private\ninterests alone are held by their anxious or timid possessors to be in\ndanger, they can safely be ignored, for the concerns of the poor and\noppressed are of greater importance than theirs. But I wish from the\noutset to prevent any misconception from arising, particularly the\nmistaken notion that my project, if realized, would in the least\ndegree injure property now held by Jews. I shall therefore explain\neverything connected with rights of property very fully. Whereas, if\nmy plan never becomes anything more than a piece of literature, things\nwill merely remain as they are. It might more reasonably be objected\nthat I am giving a handle to Anti-Semitism when I say we are a\npeople--one people; that I am hindering the assimilation of Jews where\nit is about to be consummated, and endangering it where it is an\naccomplished fact, insofar as it is possible for a solitary writer to\nhinder or endanger anything. This objection will be especially brought forward in France. It will\nprobably also be made in other countries, but I shall answer only the\nFrench Jews beforehand, because these afford the most striking example\nof my point. However much I may worship personality--powerful individual\npersonality in statesmen, inventors, artists, philosophers, or\nleaders, as well as the collective personality of a historic group of\nhuman beings, which we call a nation--however much I may worship\npersonality, I do not regret its disappearance. Whoever can, will, and\nmust perish, let him perish. But the distinctive nationality of Jews\nneither can, will, nor must be destroyed. It cannot be destroyed,\nbecause external enemies consolidate it. It will not be destroyed;\nthis is shown during two thousand years of appalling suffering. It\nmust not be destroyed, and that, as a descendant of numberless Jews\nwho refused to despair, I am trying once more to prove in this\npamphlet. Whole branches of Judaism may wither and fall, but the trunk\nwill remain. Hence, if all or any of the French Jews protest against this scheme on\naccount of their own \"assimilation,\" my answer is simple: The whole\nthing does not concern them at all. They are Jewish Frenchmen, well\nand good! This is a private affair for the Jews alone. The movement towards the organization of the State I am proposing\nwould, of course, harm Jewish Frenchmen no more than it would harm the\n\"assimilated\" of other countries. It would, on the contrary, be\ndistinctly to their advantage. For they would no longer be disturbed\nin their \"chromatic function,\" as Darwin puts it, but would be able to\nassimilate in peace, because the present Anti-Semitism would have been\nstopped for ever. They would certainly be credited with being\nassimilated to the very depths of their souls, if they stayed where\nthey were after the new Jewish State, with its superior institutions,\nhad become a reality. The \"assimilated\" would profit even more than Christian citizens by\nthe departure of faithful Jews; for they would be rid of the\ndisquieting, incalculable, and unavoidable rivalry of a Jewish\nproletariat, driven by poverty and political pressure from place to\nplace, from land to land. This floating proletariat would become\nstationary. Many Christian citizens--whom we call Anti-Semites--can\nnow offer determined resistance to the immigration of foreign Jews.\nJewish citizens cannot do this, although it affects them far more\ndirectly; for on them they feel first of all the keen competition of\nindividuals carrying on similar branches of industry, who, in\naddition, either introduce Anti-Semitism where it does not exist, or\nintensify it where it does. The \"assimilated\" give expression to this\nsecret grievance in \"philanthropic\" undertakings. They organize\nemigration societies for wandering Jews. There is a reverse to the\npicture which would be comic, if it did not deal with human beings.\nFor some of these charitable institutions are created not for, but\nagainst, persecuted Jews; they are created to despatch these poor\ncreatures just as fast and far as possible. And thus, many an apparent\nfriend of the Jews turns out, on careful inspection, to be nothing\nmore than an Anti-Semite of Jewish origin, disguised as a\nphilanthropist. But the attempts at colonization made even by really benevolent men,\ninteresting attempts though they were, have so far been unsuccessful.\nI do not think that this or that man took up the matter merely as an\namusement, that they engaged in the emigration of poor Jews as one\nindulges in the racing of horses. The matter was too grave and tragic\nfor such treatment. These attempts were interesting, in that they\nrepresented on a small scale the practical fore-runners of the idea of\na Jewish State. They were even useful, for out of their mistakes may\nbe gathered experience for carrying the idea out successfully on a\nlarger scale. They have, of course, done harm also. The transportation\nof Anti-Semitism to new districts, which is the inevitable consequence\nof such artificial infiltration, seems to me to be the least of these\nevils. Far worse is the circumstance that unsatisfactory results tend\nto cast doubts on intelligent men. What is impractical or impossible\nto simple argument will remove this doubt from the minds of\nintelligent men. What is unpractical or impossible to accomplish on a\nsmall scale, need not necessarily be so on a larger one. A small\nenterprise may result in loss under the same conditions which would\nmake a large one pay. A rivulet cannot even be navigated by boats, the\nriver into which it flows carries stately iron vessels. No human being is wealthy or powerful enough to transplant a nation\nfrom one habitation to another. An idea alone can achieve that and\nthis idea of a State may have the requisite power to do so. The Jews\nhave dreamt this kingly dream all through the long nights of their\nhistory. \"Next year in Jerusalem\" is our old phrase. It is now a\nquestion of showing that the dream can be converted into a living\nreality. For this, many old, outgrown, confused and limited notions must first\nbe entirely erased from the minds of men. Dull brains might, for\ninstance, imagine that this exodus would be from civilized regions\ninto the desert. That is not the case. It will be carried out in the\nmidst of civilization. We shall not revert to a lower stage, we shall\nrise to a higher one. We shall not dwell in mud huts; we shall build\nnew more beautiful and more modern houses, and possess them in safety.\nWe shall not lose our acquired possessions; we shall realize them. We\nshall surrender our well earned rights only for better ones. We shall\nnot sacrifice our beloved customs; we shall find them again. We shall\nnot leave our old home before the new one is prepared for us. Those\nonly will depart who are sure thereby to improve their position; those\nwho are now desperate will go first, after them the poor; next the\nprosperous, and, last of all, the wealthy. Those who go in advance\nwill raise themselves to a higher grade, equal to those whose\nrepresentatives will shortly follow. Thus the exodus will be at the\nsame time an ascent of the class. The departure of the Jews will involve no economic disturbances, no\ncrises, no persecutions; in fact, the countries they abandon will\nrevive to a new period of prosperity. There will be an inner migration\nof Christian citizens into the positions evacuated by Jews. The\noutgoing current will be gradual, without any disturbance, and its\ninitial movement will put an end to Anti-Semitism. The Jews will leave\nas honored friends, and if some of them return, they will receive the\nsame favorable welcome and treatment at the hands of civilized nations\nas is accorded to all foreign visitors. Their exodus will have no\nresemblance to a flight, for it will be a well-regulated movement\nunder control of public opinion. The movement will not only be\ninaugurated with absolute conformity to law, but it cannot even be\ncarried out without the friendly cooperation of interested\nGovernments, who would derive considerable benefits from it. Security for the integrity of the idea and the vigor of its execution\nwill be found in the creation of a body corporate, or corporation.\nThis corporation will be called \"The Society of Jews.\" In addition to\nit there will be a Jewish company, an economically productive body. An individual who attempted even to undertake this huge task alone\nwould be either an impostor or a madman. The personal character of the\nmembers of the corporation will guarantee its integrity, and the\nadequate capital of the Company will prove its stability. These prefatory remarks are merely intended as a hasty reply to the\nmass of objections which the very words \"Jewish State\" are certain to\narouse. Henceforth we shall proceed more slowly to meet further\nobjections and to explain in detail what has been as yet only\nindicated; and we shall try in the interests of this pamphlet to\navoid making it a dull exposition. Short aphoristic chapters will\ntherefore best answer the purpose. If I wish to substitute a new building for an old one, I must demolish\nbefore I construct. I shall therefore keep to this natural sequence.\nIn the first and general part I shall explain my ideas, remove all\nprejudices, determine essential political and economic conditions, and\ndevelop the plan. In the special part, which is divided into three principal sections, I\nshall describe its execution. These three sections are: The Jewish\nCompany, Local Groups, and the Society of Jews. The Society is to be\ncreated first, the Company last; but in this exposition the reverse\norder is preferable, because it is the financial soundness of the\nenterprise which will chiefly be called into question, and doubts on\nthis score must be removed first. In the conclusion, I shall try to meet every further objection that\ncould possibly be made. My Jewish readers will, I hope, follow me\npatiently to the end. Some will naturally make their objections in an\norder of succession other than that chosen for their refutation. But\nwhoever finds his doubts dispelled should give allegiance to the\ncause. Although I speak of reason, I am fully aware that reason alone will\nnot suffice. Old prisoners do not willingly leave their cells. We\nshall see whether the youth whom we need are at our command--the\nyouth, who irresistibly draw on the old, carry them forward on strong\narms, and transform rational motives into enthusiasm.  \n_II. The Jewish Question_ \nNo one can deny the gravity of the situation of the Jews. Wherever\nthey live in perceptible numbers, they are more or less persecuted.\nTheir equality before the law, granted by statute, has become\npractically a dead letter. They are debarred from filling even\nmoderately high positions, either in the army, or in any public or\nprivate capacity. And attempts are made to thrust them out of business\nalso: \"Don't buy from Jews!\" Attacks in Parliaments, in assemblies, in the press, in the pulpit, in\nthe street, on journeys--for example, their exclusion from certain\nhotels--even in places of recreation, become daily more numerous. The\nforms of persecutions varying according to the countries and social\ncircles in which they occur. In Russia, imposts are levied on Jewish\nvillages; in Rumania, a few persons are put to death; in Germany, they\nget a good beating occasionally; in Austria, Anti-Semites exercise\nterrorism over all public life; in Algeria, there are travelling\nagitators; in Paris, the Jews are shut out of the so-called best\nsocial circles and excluded from clubs. Shades of anti-Jewish feeling\nare innumerable. But this is not to be an attempt to make out a\ndoleful category of Jewish hardships. I do not intend to arouse sympathetic emotions on our behalf. That\nwould be foolish, futile, and undignified proceeding. I shall content\nmyself with putting the following questions to the Jews: Is it not\ntrue that, in countries where we live in perceptible numbers, the\nposition of Jewish lawyers, doctors, technicians, teachers, and\nemployees of all descriptions becomes daily more intolerable? Is it\nnot true, that the Jewish middle classes are seriously threatened? Is\nit not true, that the passions of the mob are incited against our\nwealthy people? Is it not true, that our poor endure greater\nsufferings than any other proletariat? I think that this external\npressure makes itself felt everywhere. In our economically upper\nclasses it causes discomfort, in our middle classes continual and\ngrave anxieties, in our lower classes absolute despair. Everything tends, in fact, to one and the same conclusion, which is\nclearly enunciated in that classic Berlin phrase: \"_Juden Raus!_\" (Out\nwith the Jews!) I shall now put the Question in the briefest possible form: Are we to\n\"get out\" now and where to? Or, may we yet remain? And, how long? Let us first settle the point of staying where we are. Can we hope for\nbetter days, can we possess our souls in patience, can we wait in\npious resignation till the princes and peoples of this earth are more\nmercifully disposed towards us? I say that we cannot hope for a change\nin the current of feeling. And why not? Even if we were as near to the\nhearts of princes as are their other subjects, they could not protect\nus. They would only feel popular hatred by showing us too much favor.\nBy \"too much,\" I really mean less than is claimed as a right by every\nordinary citizen, or by every race. The nations in whose midst Jews\nlive are all either covertly or openly Anti-Semitic. The common people have not, and indeed cannot have, any historic\ncomprehension. They do not know that the sins of the Middle Ages are\nnow being visited on the nations of Europe. We are what the Ghetto\nmade us. We have attained pre-eminence in finance, because mediaeval\nconditions drove us to it. The same process is now being repeated. We\nare again being forced into finance, now it is the stock exchange, by\nbeing kept out of other branches of economic activity. Being on the\nstock exchange, we are consequently exposed afresh to contempt. At the\nsame time we continue to produce an abundance of mediocre intellects\nwho find no outlet, and this endangers our social position as much as\ndoes our increasing wealth. Educated Jews without means are now\nrapidly becoming Socialists. Hence we are certain to suffer very\nseverely in the struggle between classes, because we stand in the most\nexposed position in the camps of both Socialists and capitalists. \nPREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT A SOLUTION The artificial means heretofore employed to overcome the troubles of\nJews have been either too petty--such as attempts at colonization--or\nattempts to convert the Jews into peasants in their present homes. What is achieved by transporting a few thousand Jews to another\ncountry? Either they come to grief at once, or prosper, and then their\nprosperity creates Anti-Semitism. We have already discussed these\nattempts to divert poor Jews to fresh districts. This diversion is\nclearly inadequate and futile, if it does not actually defeat its own\nends; for it merely protracts and postpones a solution, and perhaps\neven aggravates difficulties. Whoever would attempt to convert the Jew into a husbandman would be\nmaking an extraordinary mistake. For a peasant is in a historical\ncategory, as proved by his costume which in some countries he has worn\nfor centuries; and by his tools, which are identical with those used\nby his earliest forefathers. His plough is unchanged; he carries the\nseed in his apron; mows with the historical scythe, and threshes with\nthe time-honored flail. But we know that all this can be done by\nmachinery. The agrarian question is only a question of machinery.\nAmerica must conquer Europe, in the same way as large landed\npossessions absorb small ones. The peasant is consequently a type\nwhich is in course of extinction. Whenever he is artificially\npreserved, it is done on account of the political interests which he\nis intended to serve. It is absurd, and indeed impossible, to make\nmodern peasants on the old pattern. No one is wealthy or powerful\nenough to make civilization take a single retrograde step. The mere\npreservation of obsolete institutions is a task severe enough to\nrequire the enforcement of all the despotic measures of an\nautocratically governed State. Are we, therefore, to credit Jews who are intelligent with a desire to\nbecome peasants of the old type? One might just as well say to them:\n\"Here is a cross-bow: now go to war!\" What? With a cross-bow, while\nthe others have rifles and long range guns? Under these circumstances\nthe Jews are perfectly justified in refusing to stir when people try\nto make peasants of them. A cross-bow is a beautiful weapon, which\ninspires me with mournful feelings when I have time to devote to them.\nBut it belongs by rights to a museum. Now, there certainly are districts to which desperate Jews go out, or\nat any rate, are willing to go out and till the soil. And a little\nobservation shows that these districts--such as the enclave of Hesse\nin Germany, and some provinces in Russia--these very districts are the\nprincipal seats of Anti-Semitism. For the world's reformers, who send the Jews to the plough, forget a\nvery important person, who has a great deal to say on the matter. This\nperson is the agriculturist, and the agriculturist is also perfectly\njustified. For the tax on land, the risks attached to crops, the\npressure of large proprietors who cheapen labor, and American\ncompetition in particular, combine to make his life hard enough.\nBesides, the duties on corn cannot go on increasing indefinitely. Nor\ncan the manufacturer be allowed to starve; his political influence is,\nin fact, in the ascendant, and he must therefore be treated with\nadditional consideration. All these difficulties are well known, therefore I refer to them only\ncursorily. I merely wanted to indicate clearly how futile had been\npast attempts--most of them well intentioned--to solve the Jewish\nQuestion. Neither a diversion of the stream, nor an artificial\ndepression of the intellectual level of our proletariat, will overcome\nthe difficulty. The supposed infallible expedient of assimilation has\nalready been dealt with. We cannot get the better of Anti-Semitism by any of these methods. It\ncannot die out so long as its causes are not removed. Are they\nremovable? \nCAUSES OF ANTI-SEMITISM We shall not again touch on those causes which are a result of\ntemperament, prejudice and narrow views, but shall here restrict\nourselves to political and economical causes alone. Modern\nAnti-Semitism is not to be confounded with the religious persecution\nof the Jews of former times. It does occasionally take a religious\nbias in some countries, but the main current of the aggressive\nmovement has now changed. In the principal countries where\nAnti-Semitism prevails, it does so as a result of the emancipation of\nthe Jews. When civilized nations awoke to the inhumanity of\ndiscriminatory legislation and enfranchised us, our enfranchisement\ncame too late. It was no longer possible to remove our disabilities in\nour old homes. For we had, curiously enough, developed while in the\nGhetto into a bourgeois people, and we stepped out of it only to enter\ninto fierce competition with the middle classes. Hence, our\nemancipation set us suddenly within this middle-class circle, where we\nhave a double pressure to sustain, from within and from without. The\nChristian bourgeoisie would not be unwilling to cast us as a sacrifice\nto Socialism, though that would not greatly improve matters. At the same time, the equal rights of Jews before the law cannot be\nwithdrawn where they have once been conceded. Not only because their\nwithdrawal would be opposed to the spirit of our age, but also because\nit would immediately drive all Jews, rich and poor alike, into the\nranks of subversive parties. Nothing effectual can really be done to\nour injury. In olden days our jewels were seized. How is our movable\nproperty to be got hold of now? It consists of printed papers which\nare locked up somewhere or other in the world, perhaps in the coffers\nof Christians. It is, of course, possible to get at shares and\ndebentures in railways, banks and industrial undertakings of all\ndescriptions by taxation, and where the progressive income-tax is in\nforce all our movable property can eventually be laid hold of. But all\nthese efforts cannot be directed against Jews alone, and wherever they\nmight nevertheless be made, severe economic crises would be their\nimmediate consequences, which would be by no means confined to the\nJews who would be the first affected. The very impossibility of\ngetting at the Jews nourishes and embitters hatred of them.\nAnti-Semitism increases day by day and hour by hour among the nations;\nindeed, it is bound to increase, because the causes of its growth\ncontinue to exist and cannot be removed. Its remote cause is our loss\nof the power of assimilation during the Middle Ages; its immediate\ncause is our excessive production of mediocre intellects, who cannot\nfind an outlet downwards or upwards--that is to say, no wholesome\noutlet in either direction. When we sink, we become a revolutionary\nproletariat, the subordinate officers of all revolutionary parties;\nand at the same time, when we rise, there rises also our terrible\npower of the purse. \nEFFECTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM The oppression we endure does not improve us, for we are not a whit\nbetter than ordinary people. It is true that we do not love our\nenemies; but he alone who can conquer himself dare reproach us with\nthat fault. Oppression naturally creates hostility against oppressors,\nand our hostility aggravates the pressure. It is impossible to escape\nfrom this eternal circle. \"No!\" Some soft-hearted visionaries will say: \"No, it is possible!\nPossible by means of the ultimate perfection of humanity.\" Is it necessary to point to the sentimental folly of this view? He who\nwould found his hope for improved conditions on the ultimate\nperfection of humanity would indeed be relying upon a Utopia! I referred previously to our \"assimilation\". I do not for a moment\nwish to imply that I desire such an end. Our national character is too\nhistorically famous, and, in spite of every degradation, too fine to\nmake its annihilation desirable. We might perhaps be able to merge\nourselves entirely into surrounding races, if these were to leave us\nin peace for a period of two generations. But they will not leave us\nin peace. For a little period they manage to tolerate us, and then\ntheir hostility breaks out again and again. The world is provoked\nsomehow by our prosperity, because it has for many centuries been\naccustomed to consider us as the most contemptible among the\npoverty-stricken. In its ignorance and narrowness of heart, it fails\nto observe that prosperity weakens our Judaism and extinguishes our\npeculiarities. It is only pressure that forces us back to the parent\nstem; it is only hatred encompassing us that makes us strangers once\nmore. Thus, whether we like it or not, we are now, and shall henceforth\nremain, a historic group with unmistakable characteristics common to\nus all. We are one people--our enemies have made us one without our consent,\nas repeatedly happens in history. Distress binds us together, and,\nthus united, we suddenly discover our strength. Yes, we are strong\nenough to form a State, and, indeed, a model State. We possess all\nhuman and material resources necessary for the purpose. This is therefore the appropriate place to give an account of what has\nbeen somewhat roughly termed our \"human material.\" But it would not be\nappreciated till the broad lines of the plan, on which everything\ndepends, has first been marked out. \nTHE PLAN The whole plan is in its essence perfectly simple, as it must\nnecessarily be if it is to come within the comprehension of all. Let the sovereignty be granted us over a portion of the globe large\nenough to satisfy the rightful requirements of a nation; the rest we\nshall manage for ourselves. The creation of a new State is neither ridiculous nor impossible. We\nhave in our day witnessed the process in connection with nations which\nwere not largely members of the middle class, but poorer, less\neducated, and consequently weaker than ourselves. The Governments of\nall countries scourged by Anti-Semitism will be keenly interested in\nassisting us to obtain the sovereignty we want. The plan, simple in design, but complicated in execution, will be\ncarried out by two agencies: The Society of Jews and the Jewish\nCompany. The Society of Jews will do the preparatory work in the domains of\nscience and politics, which the Jewish Company will afterwards apply\npractically. The Jewish Company will be the liquidating agent of the business\ninterests of departing Jews, and will organize commerce and trade in\nthe new country. We must not imagine the departure of the Jews to be a sudden one. It\nwill be gradual, continuous, and will cover many decades. The poorest\nwill go first to cultivate the soil. In accordance with a preconceived\nplan, they will construct roads, bridges, railways and telegraph\ninstallations; regulate rivers; and build their own dwellings; their\nlabor will create trade, trade will create markets and markets will\nattract new settlers, for every man will go voluntarily, at his own\nexpense and his own risk. The labor expended on the land will enhance\nits value, and the Jews will soon perceive that a new and permanent\nsphere of operation is opening here for that spirit of enterprise\nwhich has heretofore met only with hatred and obloquy. If we wish to found a State today, we shall not do it in the way which\nwould have been the only possible one a thousand years ago. It is\nfoolish to revert to old stages of civilization, as many Zionists\nwould like to do. Supposing, for example, we were obliged to clear a\ncountry of wild beasts, we should not set about the task in the\nfashion of Europeans of the fifth century. We should not take spear\nand lance and go out singly in pursuit of bears; we would organize a\nlarge and active hunting party, drive the animals together, and throw\na melinite bomb into their midst. If we wish to conduct building operations, we shall not plant a mass\nof stakes and piles on the shore of a lake, but we shall build as men\nbuild now. Indeed, we shall build in a bolder and more stately style\nthan was ever adopted before, for we now possess means which men never\nyet possessed. The emigrants standing lowest in the economic scale will be slowly\nfollowed by those of a higher grade. Those who at this moment are\nliving in despair will go first. They will be led by the mediocre\nintellects which we produce so superabundantly and which are\npersecuted everywhere. This pamphlet will open a general discussion on the Jewish Question,\nbut that does not mean that there will be any voting on it. Such a\nresult would ruin the cause from the outset, and dissidents must\nremember that allegiance or opposition is entirely voluntary. He who\nwill not come with us should remain behind. Let all who are willing to join us, fall in behind our banner and\nfight for our cause with voice and pen and deed. Those Jews who agree with our idea of a State will attach themselves\nto the Society, which will thereby be authorized to confer and treat\nwith Governments in the name of our people. The Society will thus be\nacknowledged in its relations with Governments as a State-creating\npower. This acknowledgment will practically create the State. Should the Powers declare themselves willing to admit our sovereignty\nover a neutral piece of land, then the Society will enter into\nnegotiations for the possession of this land. Here two territories\ncome under consideration, Palestine and Argentine. In both countries\nimportant experiments in colonization have been made, though on the\nmistaken principle of a gradual infiltration of Jews. An infiltration\nis bound to end badly. It continues till the inevitable moment when\nthe native population feels itself threatened, and forces the\nGovernment to stop a further influx of Jews. Immigration is\nconsequently futile unless we have the sovereign right to continue\nsuch immigration. The Society of Jews will treat with the present masters of the land,\nputting itself under the protectorate of the European Powers, if they\nprove friendly to the plan. We could offer the present possessors of\nthe land enormous advantages, assume part of the public debt, build\nnew roads for traffic, which our presence in the country would render\nnecessary, and do many other things. The creation of our State would\nbe beneficial to adjacent countries, because the cultivation of a\nstrip of land increases the value of its surrounding districts in\ninnumerable ways. \nPALESTINE OR ARGENTINE? Shall we choose Palestine or Argentine? We shall take what is given\nus, and what is selected by Jewish public opinion. The Society will\ndetermine both these points. Argentine is one of the most fertile countries in the world, extends\nover a vast area, has a sparse population and a mild climate. The\nArgentine Republic would derive considerable profit from the cession\nof a portion of its territory to us. The present infiltration of Jews\nhas certainly produced some discontent, and it would be necessary to\nenlighten the Republic on the intrinsic difference of our new\nmovement. Palestine is our ever-memorable historic home. The very name of\nPalestine would attract our people with a force of marvellous potency.\nIf His Majesty the Sultan were to give us Palestine, we could in\nreturn undertake to regulate the whole finances of Turkey. We should\nthere form a portion of a rampart of Europe against Asia, an outpost\nof civilization as opposed to barbarism. We should as a neutral State\nremain in contact with all Europe, which would have to guarantee our\nexistence. The sanctuaries of Christendom would be safeguarded by\nassigning to them an extra-territorial status such as is well-known to\nthe law of nations. We should form a guard of honor about these\nsanctuaries, answering for the fulfilment of this duty with our\nexistence. This guard of honor would be the great symbol of the\nsolution of the Jewish Question after eighteen centuries of Jewish\nsuffering. \nDEMAND, MEDIUM, TRADE I said in the last chapter, \"The Jewish Company will organize trade\nand commerce in the new country.\" I shall here insert a few remarks on\nthat point. A scheme such as mine is gravely imperilled if it is opposed by\n\"practical\" people. Now \"practical\" people are as a rule nothing more\nthan men sunk into the groove of daily routine, unable to emerge from\na narrow circle of antiquated ideas. At the same time, their adverse\nopinion carries great weight, and can do considerable harm to a new\nproject, at any rate until this new thing is sufficiently strong to\nthrow the \"practical\" people and their mouldy notions to the winds. In the earliest period of European railway construction some\n\"practical\" people were of the opinion that it was foolish to build\ncertain lines \"because there were not even sufficient passengers to\nfill the mail-coaches.\" They did not realize the truth--which now\nseems obvious to us--that travellers do not produce railways, but,\nconversely, railways produce travellers, the latent demand, of course,\nis taken for granted. The impossibility of comprehending how trade and commerce are to be\ncreated in a new country which has yet to be acquired and cultivated,\nmay be classed with those doubts of \"practical\" persons concerning the\nneed of railways. A \"practical\" person would express himself somewhat\nin this fashion: \"Granted that the present situation of the Jews is in many places\nunendurable, and aggravated day by day; granted that there exists a\ndesire to emigrate; granted even that the Jews do emigrate to the new\ncountry; how will they earn their living there, and what will they\nearn? What are they to live on when there? The business of many people\ncannot be artificially organized in a day.\" To this I should reply: We have not the slightest intention of\norganizing trade artificially, and we should certainly not attempt to\ndo it in a day. But, though the organization of it may be impossible,\nthe promotion of it is not. And how is commerce to be encouraged?\nThrough the medium of a demand. The demand recognized, the medium\ncreated, it will establish itself. If there is a real earnest demand among Jews for an improvement of\ntheir status; if the medium to be created--the Jewish Company--is\nsufficiently powerful, then commerce will extend itself freely in the\nnew country.  \n_III. The Jewish Company_ OUTLINES \nThe Jewish Company is partly modelled on the lines of a great\nland-acquisition company. It might be called a Jewish Chartered\nCompany, though it cannot exercise sovereign power, and has other than\npurely colonial tasks. The Jewish Company will be founded as a joint stock company subject to\nEnglish jurisdiction, framed according to English laws, and under the\nprotection of England. Its principal center will be London. I cannot\ntell yet how large the Company's capital should be; I shall leave that\ncalculation to our numerous financiers. But to avoid ambiguity, I\nshall put it at a thousand million marks (about \u00a350,000,000 or\n$200,000,000); it may be either more or less than that sum. The form\nof subscription, which will be further elucidated, will determine what\nfraction of the whole amount must be paid in at once. The Jewish Company is an organization with a transitional character.\nIt is strictly a business undertaking, and must be carefully\ndistinguished from the Society of Jews. The Jewish Company will first of all convert into cash all vested\ninterests left by departing Jews. The method adopted will prevent the\noccurrences of crises, secure every man's property, and facilitate\nthat inner migration of Christian citizens which has already been\nindicated. \nNON-TRANSFERABLE GOODS The non-transferable goods which come under consideration are\nbuildings, land, and local business connections. The Jewish Company\nwill at first take upon itself no more than the necessary negotiations\nfor effecting the sale of these goods. These Jewish sales will take\nplace freely and without any serious fall in prices. The Company's\nbranch establishments in various towns will become the central offices\nfor the sale of Jewish estates, and will charge only so much\ncommission on transactions as will ensure their financial stability. The development of this movement may cause a considerable fall in the\nprices of landed property, and may eventually make it impossible to\nfind a market for it. At this juncture the Company will enter upon\nanother branch of its functions. It will take over the management of\nabandoned estates till such time as it can dispose of them to the\ngreatest advantage. It will collect house rents, let out land on\nlease, and install business managers--these, on account of the\nrequired supervision, being, if possible, tenants also. The Company\nwill endeavor everywhere to facilitate the acquisition of land by its\ntenants, who are Christians. It will, indeed, gradually replace its\nown officials in the European branches by Christian substitutes\n(lawyers, etc.); and these are not by any means to become servants of\nthe Jews; they are intended to be free agents to the Christian\npopulation, so that everything may be carried through in equity,\nfairness and justice, and without imperilling the internal welfare of\nthe people. At the same time the Company will sell estates, or, rather, exchange\nthem. For a house it will offer a house in the new country; and for\nland, land in the new country; everything being, if possible,\ntransferred to the new soil in the same state as it was in the old.\nAnd this transfer will be a great and recognized source of profit to\nthe Company. \"Over there\" the houses offered in exchange will be\nnewer, more beautiful, and more comfortably fitted, and the landed\nestates of greater value than those abandoned; but they will cost the\nCompany comparatively little, because it will have bought the ground\nvery cheaply. \nPURCHASE OF LAND The land which the Society of Jews will have secured by international\nlaw must, of course, be privately acquired. Provisions made by individuals for their own settlement do not come\nwithin the province of this general account. But the Company will\nrequire large areas for its own needs and ours, and these it must\nsecure by centralized purchase. It will negotiate principally for the\nacquisition of fiscal domains, with the great object of taking\npossession of this land \"over there\" without paying a price too high,\nin the same way as it sells here without accepting one too low. A\nforcing of prices is not to be considered, because the value of the\nland will be created by the Company through its organizing the\nsettlement in conjunction with the supervising Society of Jews. The\nlatter will see to it that the enterprise does not become a Panama,\nbut a Suez. The Company will sell building sites at reasonable rates to its\nofficials, and will allow them to mortgage these for the building of\ntheir homes, deducting the amount due from their salaries, or putting\nit down to their account as increased emolument. This will, in\naddition to the honors they expect, will be additional pay for their\nservices. All the immense profits of this speculation in land will go to the\nCompany, which is bound to receive this indefinite premium in return\nfor having borne the risk of the undertaking. When the undertaking\ninvolves any risk, the profits must be freely given to those who have\nborne it. But under no other circumstances will profits be permitted.\nFinancial morality consists in the correlation of risk and profit. \nBUILDINGS The Company will thus barter houses and estates. It must be plain to\nany one who has observed the rise in the value of land through its\ncultivation that the Company will be bound to gain on its landed\nproperty. This can best be seen in the case of enclosed pieces of land\nin town and country. Areas not built over increase in value through\nsurrounding cultivation. The men who carried out the extension of\nParis made a successful speculation in land which was ingenious in its\nsimplicity; instead of erecting new buildings in the immediate\nvicinity of the last houses of the town, they bought up adjacent\npieces of land, and began to build on the outskirts of these. This\ninverse order of construction raised the value of building sites with\nextraordinary rapidity, and, after having completed the outer ring,\nthey built in the middle of the town on these highly valuable sites,\ninstead of continually erecting houses at the extremity. Will the Company do its own building, or employ independent\narchitects? It can, and will, do both. It has, as will be shown\nshortly, an immense reserve of working power, which will not be\nsweated by the Company, but, transported into brighter and happier\nconditions of life, will nevertheless not be expensive. Our geologists\nwill have looked to the provision of building materials when they\nselected the sites of the towns. What is to be the principle of construction? \nWORKMEN'S DWELLINGS The workmen's dwellings (which include the dwellings of all\noperatives) will be erected at the Company's own risk and expense.\nThey will resemble neither those melancholy workmen's barracks of\nEuropean towns, not those miserable rows of shanties which surround\nfactories; they will certainly present a uniform appearance, because\nthe Company must build cheaply where it provides the building\nmaterials to a great extent; but the detached houses in little gardens\nwill be united into attractive groups in each locality. The natural\nconformation of the land will rouse the ingenuity of our young\narchitects, whose ideas have not yet been cramped by routine; and even\nif the people do not grasp the whole import of the plan, they will at\nany rate feel at ease in their loose clusters. The Temple will be\nvisible from long distances, for it is only our ancient faith that has\nkept us together. There will be light, attractive, healthy schools for\nchildren, conducted on the most approved modern systems. There will be\ncontinuation-schools for workmen, which will educate them in greater\ntechnical knowledge and enable them to become intimate with the\nworking of machinery. There will be places of amusement for the proper\nconduct of which the Society of Jews will be responsible. We are, however, speaking merely of the buildings at present, and not\nof what may take place inside of them. I said that the Company would build workmen's dwellings cheaply. And\ncheaply, not only because of the proximity of abundant building\nmaterials, not only because of the Company's proprietorship of the\nsites, but also because of the non-payment of workmen. American farmers work on the system of mutual assistance in the\nconstruction of houses. This childishly amicable system, which is as\nclumsy as the block-houses erected, can be developed on much finer\nlines. \nUNSKILLED LABORERS Our unskilled laborers, who will come at first from the great\nreservoirs of Russia and Rumania, must, of course, render each other\nassistance, in the construction of houses. They will be obliged to\nbuild with wood in the beginning, because iron will not be immediately\navailable. Later on the original, inadequate, makeshift buildings will\nbe replaced by superior dwellings. Our unskilled laborers will first mutually erect these shelters; and\nthen they will earn their houses as permanent possessions by means of\ntheir work--not immediately, but after three years of good conduct. In\nthis way we shall secure energetic and able men, and these men will be\npractically trained for life by three years of labor under good\ndiscipline. I said before that the Company would not have to pay these unskilled\nlaborers. What will they live on? On the whole, I am opposed to the Truck system,[A] but it will have to\nbe applied in the case of these first settlers. The Company provides\nfor them in so many ways, that it may take charge of their\nmaintenance. In any case the Truck system will be enforced only during\nthe first few years, and it will benefit the workmen by preventing\ntheir being exploited by small traders, landlords, etc. The Company\nwill thus make it impossible from the outset for those of our people,\nwho are perforce hawkers and peddlers here, to reestablish themselves\nin the same trades over there. And the Company will also keep back\ndrunkards and dissolute men. Then will there be no payment of wages at\nall during the first period of settlement. Certainly, there will be\nwages for overtime. \nTHE SEVEN-HOUR DAY The seven-hour day is the regular working day. This does not imply that wood-cutting, digging, stone-breaking, and a\nhundred other daily tasks should only be performed during seven hours.\nIndeed not. There will be fourteen hours of labor, work being done in\nshifts of three and a half hours. The organization of all this will be\nmilitary in character; there will be commands, promotions and\npensions, the means by which these pensions are provided being\nexplained further on. A sound man can do a great deal of concentrated work in three and a\nhalf hours. After an interval of the same length of time--which he\nwill devote to rest, to his family, and to his education under\nguidance--he will be quite fresh for work again. Such labor can do\nwonders. The seven-hour day thus implies fourteen hours of joint labor--more\nthan that cannot be put into a day. I am convinced that it is quite possible to introduce this seven-hour\nday with success. The attempts to do so in Belgium and England are\nwell known. Some advanced political economists who have studied the\nsubject, declare that a five-hour day would suffice. The Society of\nJews and the Jewish Company will, in any case, make new and extensive\nexperiments which will benefit the other nations of the world; and if\nthe seven-hour day proves itself practicable, it will be introduced in\nour future State as the legal and regular working day. Meantime, the Company will always allow its employees the seven-hour\nday; and it will always be in a position to do so. The seven-hour day will be the call to summon our people in every part\nof the world. All must come voluntarily, for ours must indeed be the\nPromised Land.... Whoever works longer than seven hours receives his additional pay for\novertime in cash. Seeing that all his needs are supplied, and that\nthose members of his family who are unable to work are provided for by\ntransplanted and centralized philanthropic institutions, he can save a\nlittle money. Thrift, which is already a characteristic of our people,\nshould be greatly encouraged, because it will, in the first place,\nfacilitate the rise of individuals to higher grades; and secondly, the\nmoney saved will provide an immense reserve fund for future loans.\nOvertime will only be permitted on a doctor's certificate, and must\nnot exceed three hours. For our men will crowd to work in the new\ncountry, and the world will see then what an industrious people we\nare. I shall not describe the mode of carrying out the Truck system, nor,\nin fact, the innumerable details of any process, for fear of confusing\nmy readers. Women will not be allowed to perform any arduous labor,\nnor to work overtime. Pregnant women will be relieved of all work, and will be supplied with\nnourishing food by the Truck. We want our future generations to be\nstrong men and women. We shall educate children as we wish from the commencement; but this I\nshall not elaborate either. My remarks on workmen's dwellings, and on unskilled laborers and their\nmode of life, are no more Utopian than the rest of my scheme.\nEverything I have spoken of is already being put into practice, only\non an utterly small scale, neither noticed nor understood. The\n\"Assistance par le Travail,\" which I learned to know and understand in\nParis, was of great service to me in the solution of the Jewish\nquestion. \nRELIEF BY LABOR The system of relief by labor which, is now applied in Paris, in many\nother French towns, in England, in Switzerland, and in America, is a\nvery small thing, but capable of the greatest expansion. What is the principle of relief by labor? The principle is: to furnish every needy man with easy, unskilled\nwork, such as chopping wood, or cutting faggots used for lighting\nstoves in Paris households. This is a kind of prison-work before the\ncrime, done without loss of character. It is meant to prevent men from\ntaking to crime out of want, by providing them with work and testing\ntheir willingness to do it. Starvation must never be allowed to drive\nmen to suicide; for such suicides are the deepest disgrace to a\ncivilization which allows rich men to throw tid-bits to their dogs. Relief by labor thus provides every one with work. But the system has\na great defect; there is not a sufficiently large demand for the\nproduction of the unskilled workers employed, hence there is a loss to\nthose who employ them; though it is true that the organization is\nphilanthropic, and therefore prepared for loss. But here the\nbenefaction lies only in the difference between the price paid for the\nwork and its actual value. Instead of giving the beggar two sous, the\ninstitution supplies him with work on which it loses two sous. But at\nthe same time it converts the good-for-nothing beggar into an honest\nbreadwinner, who has earned perhaps 1 franc 50 centimes. 150 centimes\nfor 10! That is to say, the receiver of a benefaction in which there\nis nothing humiliating has increased it fifteenfold! That is to say,\nfifteen thousand millions for one thousand millions! The institution certainly loses 10 centimes. But the Jewish Company\nwill not lose one thousand millions; it will draw enormous profits\nfrom this expenditure. There is a moral side also. The small system of relief by labor which\nexists now preserves rectitude through industry till such time as the\nman who is out of work finds a post suitable to his capacities, either\nin his old calling or in a new one. He is allowed a few hours daily\nfor the purpose of looking for a place, in which task the institutions\nassist him. The defect of these small organizations, so far, has been that they\nhave been prohibited from entering into competition with timber\nmerchants, etc. Timber merchants are electors; they would protest, and\nwould be justified in protesting. Competition with State prison-labor\nhas also been forbidden, for the State must occupy and feed its\ncriminals. In fact, there is very little room in an old-established society for\nthe successful application of the system of \"Assistance par le\nTravail.\" But there is room in a new society. For, above all, we require enormous numbers of unskilled laborers to\ndo the first rough work of settlement, to lay down roads, plant trees,\nlevel the ground, construct railroads, telegraph installations, etc.\nAll this will be carried out in accordance with a large and previously\nsettled plan. \nCOMMERCE The labor carried to the new country will naturally create trade. The\nfirst markets will supply only the absolute necessities of life;\ncattle, grain, working clothes, tools, arms--to mention just a few\nthings. These we shall be obliged at first to procure from neighboring\nStates, or from Europe; but we shall make ourselves independent as\nsoon as possible. The Jewish entrepreneurs will soon realize the\nbusiness prospects that the new country offers. The army of the Company's officials will gradually introduce more\nrefined requirements of life. (Officials include officers of our\ndefensive forces, who will always form about a tenth part of our male\ncolonists. They will be sufficiently numerous to quell mutinies, for\nthe majority of our colonists will be peaceably inclined.) The refined requirements of life introduced by our officials in good\npositions will create a correspondingly improved market, which will\ncontinue to better itself. The married man will send for wife and\nchildren, and the single for parents and relatives, as soon as a new\nhome is established \"over there.\" The Jews who emigrate to the United\nStates always proceed in this fashion. As soon as one of them has\ndaily bread and a roof over his head, he sends for his people; for\nfamily ties are strong among us. The Society of Jews and the Jewish\nCompany will unite in caring for and strengthening the family still\nmore, not only morally, but materially also. The officials will\nreceive additional pay on marriage and on the birth of children, for\nwe need all who are there, and all who will follow. \nOTHER CLASSES OF DWELLINGS I described before only workmen's dwellings built by themselves, and\nomitted all mention of other classes of dwellings. These I shall now\ntouch upon. The Company's architects will build for the poorer classes\nof citizens also, being paid in kind or cash; about a hundred\ndifferent types of houses will be erected, and, of course, repeated.\nThese beautiful types will form part of our propaganda. The soundness\nof their construction will be guaranteed by the Company, which will,\nindeed, gain nothing by selling them to settlers at a fixed sum. And\nwhere will these houses be situated? That will be shown in the section\ndealing with Local Groups. Seeing that the Company does not wish to earn anything on the building\nworks but only on the land, it will desire as many architects as\npossible to build by private contract. This system will increase the\nvalue of landed property, and it will introduce luxury, which serves\nmany purposes. Luxury encourages arts and industries, paving the way\nto a future subdivision of large properties. Rich Jews who are now obliged carefully to secrete their valuables,\nand to hold their dreary banquets behind lowered curtains, will be\nable to enjoy their possessions in peace, \"over there.\" If they\ncooperate in carrying out this emigration scheme, their capital will\nbe rehabilitated and will have served to promote an unexampled\nundertaking. If in the new settlement rich Jews begin to rebuild their\nmansions which are stared at in Europe with such envious eyes, it will\nsoon become fashionable to live over there in beautiful modern houses. \nSOME FORMS OF LIQUIDATION The Jewish Company is intended to be the receiver and administrator of\nthe non-transferable goods of the Jews. Its methods of procedure can be easily imagined in the case of houses\nand estates, but what methods will it adopt in the transfer of\nbusinesses? Here numberless processes may be found practicable, which cannot all\nbe enlarged on in this outline. But none of them will present any\ngreat difficulties, for in each case the business proprietor, when he\nvoluntarily decides to emigrate, will settle with the Company's\nofficers in his district on the most advantageous form of\nliquidation. This will most easily be arranged in the case of small employers, in\nwhose trades the personal activity of the proprietor is of chief\nimportance, while goods and organization are a secondary\nconsideration. The Company will provide a certain field of operation\nfor the emigrant's personal activity, and will substitute a piece of\nground, with loan of machinery, for his goods. Jews are known to adapt\nthemselves with remarkable ease to any form of earning a livelihood,\nand they will quickly learn to carry on a new industry. In this way a\nnumber of small traders will become small landholders. The Company\nwill, in fact, be prepared to sustain what appears to be a loss in\ntaking over the non-transferable property of the poorest emigrants;\nfor it will thereby induce the free cultivation of tracts of land,\nwhich raises the value of adjacent tracts. In medium-sized businesses, where goods and organization equal, or\neven exceed, in importance, the personal activity of the manager,\nwhose larger connection is also non-transferable, various forms of\nliquidation are possible. Here comes an opportunity for that inner\nmigration of Christian citizens into positions evacuated by Jews. The\ndeparting Jew will not lose his personal business credit, but will\ncarry it with him, and make good use of it in a new country to\nestablish himself. The Jewish Company will open a current bank account\nfor him. And he can sell the goodwill of his original business, or\nhand it over to the control of managers under supervision of the\nCompany's officials. The managers may rent the business or buy it,\npaying for it by instalments. But the Company acts temporarily as\ncurator for the emigrants, in superintending, through its officers and\nlawyers, the administration of their affairs, and seeing to the proper\ncollection of all payments. If a Jew cannot sell his business, or entrust it to a proxy or wish to\ngive up its personal management, he may stay where he is. The Jews who\nstay will be none the worse off, for they will be relieved of the\ncompetition of those who leave, and will no longer hear the\nAnti-Semitic cry: \"Don't buy from Jews!\" If the emigrating business proprietor wishes to carry on his old\nbusiness in the new country, he can make his arrangements for it from\nthe very commencement. An example will best illustrate my meaning. The\nfirm X carries on a large business in dry goods. The head of the firm\nwishes to emigrate. He begins by setting up a branch establishment in\nhis future place of residence, and sending out samples of his stock.\nThe first poor settlers will be his first customers; these will be\nfollowed by emigrants of a higher class, who require superior goods. X\nthen sends out newer goods, and eventually ships his newest. The\nbranch establishment begins to pay while the principal one is still in\nexistence, so that X ends by having two paying business-houses. He\nsells his original business or hands it over to his Christian\nrepresentative to manage, and goes off to take charge of the new one. Another and greater example: Y and Son are large coal-traders, with\nmines and factories of their own. How is so huge and complex a\nproperty to be liquidated? The mines and everything connected with\nthem might, in the first place, be bought up by the State, in which\nthey are situated. In the second place, the Jewish Company might take\nthem over, paying for them partly in land, partly in cash. A third\nmethod might be the conversion of \"Y and Son\" into a limited company.\nA fourth method might be the continued working of the business under\nthe original proprietors, who would return at intervals to inspect\ntheir property, as foreigners, and as such, under the protection of\nlaw in every civilized State. All these suggestions are carried out\ndaily. A fifth and excellent method, and one which might be\nparticularly profitable, I shall merely indicate, because the existing\nexamples of its working are at present few, however ready the modern\nconsciousness may be to adopt them. Y and Son might sell their\nenterprise to the collective body of their employees, who would form a\ncooperative society, with limited liability, and might perhaps pay the\nrequisite sum with the help of the State Treasury, which does not\ncharge high interest. The employees would then gradually pay off the loan, which either the\nGovernment or the Jewish Company, or even Y and Son, would have\nadvanced to them. The Jewish Company will be prepared to conduct the transfer of the\nsmallest affairs equally with the largest. And whilst the Jews quietly\nemigrate and establish their new homes, the Company acts as the great\ncontrolling body, which organizes the departure, takes charge of\ndeserted possessions, guarantees the proper conduct of the movement\nwith its own visible and tangible property, and provides permanent\nsecurity for those who have already settled. \nSECURITIES OF THE COMPANY What assurance will the Company offer that the abandonment of\ncountries will not cause their impoverishment and produce economic\ncrises? I have already mentioned that honest Anti-Semites, whilst preserving\ntheir independence, will combine with our officials in controlling the\ntransfer of our estates. But the State revenues might suffer by the loss of a body of\ntaxpayers, who, though little appreciated as citizens, are highly\nvalued in finance. The State should, therefore, receive compensation\nfor this loss. This we offer indirectly by leaving in the country\nbusinesses which we have built up by means of Jewish acumen and Jewish\nindustry, by letting our Christian fellow-citizens move into our\nevacuated positions, and by this facilitating the rise of numbers of\npeople to greater prosperity so peaceably and in so unparallelled a\nmanner. The French Revolution had a somewhat similar result, on a\nsmall scale, but it was brought about by bloodshed on the guillotine\nin every province of France, and on the battlefields of Europe.\nMoreover, inherited and acquired rights were destroyed, and only\ncunning buyers enriched themselves by the purchase of State\nproperties. The Jewish Company will offer to the States that come within its\nsphere of activity direct as well as indirect advantages. It will give\nGovernments the first offer of abandoned Jewish property, and allow\nbuyers most favorable conditions. Governments, again, will be able to\nmake use of this friendly appropriation of land for the purpose of\ncertain social improvements. The Jewish Company will give every assistance to Governments and\nParliaments in their efforts to direct the inner migration of\nChristian citizens. The Jewish Company will also pay heavy taxes. Its central office will\nbe in London, so as to be under the legal protection of a power which\nis not at present Anti-Semitic. But the Company, if it is supported\nofficially and semi-officially, will everywhere provide a broad basis\nof taxation. To this end, it will establish taxable branch offices\neverywhere. Further, it will pay double duties on the two-fold\ntransfer of goods which it accomplishes. Even in transactions where\nthe Company is really nothing more than a real estate agency, it will\ntemporarily appear as a purchaser, and will be set down as the\nmomentary possessor in the register of landed property. These are, of course, purely calculable matters. It will have to be\nconsidered and decided in each place how far the Company can go\nwithout running any risks of failure. And the Company itself will\nconfer freely with Finance Ministers on the various points at issue.\nMinisters will recognize the friendly spirit of our enterprise, and\nwill consequently offer every facility in their power necessary for\nthe successful achievement of the great undertaking. Further and direct profit will accrue to Governments from the\ntransport of passengers and goods, and where railways are State\nproperty the returns will be immediately recognizable. Where they are\nheld by private companies, the Jewish Company will receive favorable\nterms for transport, in the same way as does every transmitter of\ngoods on a large scale. Freight and carriage must be made as cheap as\npossible for our people, because every traveller will pay his own\nexpenses. The middle classes will travel with Cook's tickets, the\npoorer classes in emigrant trains. The Company might make a good deal\nby reductions on passengers and goods; but here, as elsewhere, it must\nadhere to its principle of not trying to raise its receipts to a\ngreater sum than will cover its working expenses. In many places Jews have control of the transport; and the transport\nbusinesses will be the first needed by the Company and the first to be\nliquidated by it. The original owners of these concerns will either\nenter the Company's service, or establish themselves independently\n\"over there.\" The new arrivals will certainly require their\nassistance, and theirs being a paying profession, which they may and\nindeed must exercise there to earn a living, numbers of these\nenterprising spirits will depart. It is unnecessary to describe all\nthe business details of this monster expedition. They must be\njudiciously evolved out of the original plan by many able men, who\nmust apply their minds to achieving the best system. \nSOME OF THE COMPANY'S ACTIVITIES Many activities will be interconnected. For example: the Company will\ngradually introduce the manufacture of goods into the settlements\nwhich will, of course, be extremely primitive at their inception.\nClothing, linens, and shoes will first of all be manufactured for our\nown poor emigrants, who will be provided with new suits of clothing at\nthe various European emigration centers. They will not receive these\nclothes as alms, which might hurt their pride, but in exchange for old\ngarments: any loss the Company sustains by this transaction will be\nbooked as a business loss. Those who are absolutely without means will\npay off their debt to the Company by working overtime at a fair rate\nof wage. Existing emigration societies will be able to give valuable assistance\nhere, for they will do for the Company's colonists what they did\nbefore for departing Jews. The forms of such cooperation will easily\nbe found. Even the new clothing of the poor settlers will have the symbolic\nmeaning. \"You are now entering on a new life.\" The Society of Jews\nwill see to it that long before the departure and also during the\njourney a serious yet festive spirit is fostered by means of prayers,\npopular lectures, instruction on the object of the expedition,\ninstruction on hygienic matters for their new places of residence, and\nguidance in regard to their future work. For the Promised Land is the\nland of work. On their arrival, the emigrants will be welcomed by our\nchief officials with due solemnity, but without foolish exultation,\nfor the Promised Land will not yet have been conquered. But these poor\npeople should already see that they are at home. The clothing industries of the Company will, of course, not produce\ntheir goods without proper organization. The Society of Jews will\nobtain from the local branches information about the number,\nrequirements and date of arrival of the settlers, and will communicate\nall such information in good time to the Jewish Company. In this way\nit will be possible to provide for them with every precaution. \nPROMOTION OF INDUSTRIES The duties of the Jewish Company and the Society of Jews cannot be\nkept strictly apart in this outline. These two great bodies will have\nto work constantly in unison, the Company depending on the moral\nauthority and support of the Society, just as the Society cannot\ndispense with the material assistance of the Company. For example, in\nthe organizing of the clothing industry, the quantity produced will at\nfirst be kept down so as to preserve an equilibrium between supply and\ndemand; and wherever the Company undertakes the organization of new\nindustries the same precaution must be exercised. But individual enterprise must never be checked by the Company with\nits superior force. We shall only work collectively when the immense\ndifficulties of the task demand common action; we shall, wherever\npossible, scrupulously respect the rights of the individual. Private\nproperty, which is the economic basis of independence, shall be\ndeveloped freely and be respected by us. Our first unskilled laborers\nwill at once have the opportunity to work their way up to private\nproprietorship. The spirit of enterprise must, indeed, be encouraged in every possible\nway. Organization of industries will be promoted by a judicious system\nof duties, by the employment of cheap raw material, and by the\ninstitution of a board to collect and publish industrial statistics. But this spirit of enterprise must be wisely encouraged, and risky\nspeculation must be avoided. Every new industry must be advertised for\na long period before establishment, so as to prevent failure on the\npart of those who might wish to start a similar business six months\nlater. Whenever a new industrial establishment is founded, the Company\nshould be informed, so that all those interested may obtain\ninformation from it. Industrialists will be able to make use of centralized labor agencies,\nwhich will only receive a commission large enough to ensure their\ncontinuance. The industrialists might, for example, telegraph for 500\nunskilled laborers for three days, three weeks, or three months. The\nlabor agency would then collect these 500 unskilled laborers from\nevery possible source, and despatch them at once to carry out the\nagricultural or industrial enterprise. Parties of workmen will thus be\nsystematically drafted from place to place like a body of troops.\nThese men will, of course, not be sweated, but will work only a\nseven-hour day; and, in spite of their change of locality, they will\npreserve their organization, work out their term of service, and\nreceive commands, promotions, and pensions. Some establishments may,\nof course, be able to obtain their workmen from other sources, if they\nwish, but they will not find it easy to do so. The Society will be\nable to prevent the introduction of non-Jewish work-slaves by\nboycotting obstinate employers, by obstructing traffic, and by\nvarious other methods. The seven-hour workers will therefore have to\nbe taken, and we shall thus bring our people gradually, and without\ncoercion, to adopt the normal seven-hour day. \nSETTLEMENT OF SKILLED LABORERS It is clear that what can be done for unskilled workers can be even\nmore easily done for skilled laborers. These will work under similar\nregulations in the factories, and the central labor agency will\nprovide them when required. Independent operatives and small employers, must be carefully taught\non account of the rapid progress of scientific improvements, must\nacquire technical knowledge even if no longer very young men, must\nstudy the power of water, and appreciate the forces of electricity.\nIndependent workers must also be discovered and supplied by the\nSociety's agency. The local branch will apply, for example, to the\ncentral office: \"We want so many carpenters, locksmiths, glaziers,\netc.\" The central office will publish this demand, and the proper men\nwill apply there for the work. These would then travel with their\nfamilies to the place where they were wanted, and would remain there\nwithout feeling the pressure of undue competition. A permanent and\ncomfortable home would thus be provided for them. \nMETHOD OF RAISING CAPITAL The capital required for establishing the Company was previously put\nat what seemed an absurdly high figure. The amount actually necessary\nwill be fixed by financiers, and will in any case be a very\nconsiderable sum. There are three ways of raising this sum, all of\nwhich the Society will take under consideration. This Society, the\ngreat \"Gestor\" of the Jews, will be formed by our best and most\nupright men, who must not derive any material advantage from their\nmembership. Although the Society cannot at the outset possess any but\nmoral authority, this authority will suffice to establish the credit\nof the Jewish Company in the nation's eyes. The Jewish Company will be\nunable to succeed in its enterprise unless it has received the\nSociety's sanction; it will thus not be formed of any mere\nindiscriminate group of financiers. For the Society will weigh, select\nand decide, and will not give its approbation till it is sure of the\nexistence of a sound basis for the conscientious carrying out of the\nscheme. It will not permit experiments with insufficient means, for\nthis undertaking must succeed at the first attempt. Any initial\nfailure would compromise the whole idea for many decades to come, or\nmight even make its realization permanently impossible. The three methods of raising capital are: (1) Through big banks; (2)\nThrough small and private banks; (3) Through public subscription. The first method of raising capital is: Through big banks. The\nrequired sum could then be raised in the shortest possible time among\nthe large financial groups, after they had discussed the advisability\nof the course. The great advantage of this method would be that it\nwould avoid the necessity of paying in the thousand millions (to keep\nto the original figure), immediately in its entirety. A further\nadvantage would be that the credit of these powerful financiers would\nalso be of service to the enterprise. Many latent political forces lie\nin our financial power, that power which our enemies assert to be so\neffective. It might be so, but actually it is not. Poor Jews feel only\nthe hatred which this financial power provokes; its use in\nalleviating their lot as a body, they have not yet felt. The credit of\nour great Jewish financiers would have to be placed at the service of\nthe National Idea. But should these gentlemen, who are quite satisfied\nwith their lot, feel indisposed to do anything for their fellow-Jews\nwho are unjustly held responsible for the large possessions of certain\nindividuals, then the realization of this plan will afford an\nopportunity for drawing a clear line of distinction between them and\nthe rest of Jewry. The great financiers, moreover, will certainly not be asked to raise\nan amount so enormous out of pure philanthropic motives; that would be\nexpecting too much. The promoters and stock holders of the Jewish\nCompany are, on the contrary, expected to do a good piece of business,\nand they will be able to calculate beforehand what their chances of\nsuccess are likely to be. For the Society of Jews will be in\npossession of all documents and references which may serve to define\nthe prospects of the Jewish Company. The Society will in particular\nhave investigated with exactitude the extent of the new Jewish\nmovement, so as to provide the Company promoters with thoroughly\nreliable information on the amount of support they may expect. The\nSociety will also supply the Jewish Company with comprehensive modern\nJewish statistics, thus doing the work of what is called in France a\n\"societ\u00e9 d'\u00e9tudes,\" which undertakes all preliminary research previous\nto the financing of a great undertaking. Even so, the enterprise may\nnot receive the valuable assistance of our moneyed magnates. These\nmight, perhaps, even try to oppose the Jewish movement by means of\ntheir secret agents. Such opposition we shall meet with relentless\ndetermination. Supposing that these magnates are content simply to turn this scheme\ndown with a smile: Is it, therefore, done for? No. For then the money will be raised in another way--by an appeal to\nmoderately rich Jews. The smaller Jewish banks would have to be united\nin the name of the National Idea against the big banks till they were\ngathered into a second and formidable financial force. But,\nunfortunately, this would require a great deal of financing at\nfirst--for the \u00a350,000,000 would have to be subscribed in full before\nstarting work; and, as this sum could only be raised very slowly, all\nsorts of banking business would have to be done and loans made during\nthe first few years. It might even occur that, in the course of all\nthese transactions, their original object would be forgotten; the\nmoderately rich Jews would have created a new and large business, and\nJewish emigration would be forgotten. The notion of raising money in this way is not by any means\nimpracticable. The experiment of collecting Christian money to form an\nopposing force to the big banks has already been tried; that one could\nalso oppose them with Jewish money has not been thought of until now. But these financial conflicts would bring about all sorts of crises;\nthe countries in which they occurred would suffer, and Anti-Semitism\nwould become rampant. This method is therefore not to be recommended. I have merely\nsuggested it, because it comes up in the course of the logical\ndevelopment of the idea. I also do not know whether smaller private banks would be willing to\nadopt it. In any case, even the refusal of moderately rich Jews would not put an\nend to the scheme. On the contrary, it would then have to be taken up\nin real earnest. The Society of Jews, whose members are not business men, might try to\nfound the Company on a national subscription. The Company's capital might be raised, without the intermediary of a\nsyndicate, by means of direct subscription on the part of the public.\nNot only poor Jews, but also Christians who wanted to get rid of them,\nwould subscribe a small amount to this fund. A new and peculiar form\nof the plebiscite would thus be established, whereby each man who\nvoted for this solution of the Jewish Question would express his\nopinion by subscribing a stipulated amount. This stipulation would\nproduce security. The funds subscribed would only be paid in if their\nsum total reached the required amount, otherwise the initial payments\nwould be returned. But if the whole of the required sum is raised by popular\nsubscription, then each little amount would be secured by the great\nnumbers of other small amounts. All this would, of course, need the express and definite assistance of\ninterested Governments. \nFOOTNOTES: [A] The practice of paying the workman's wages in goods instead of\nmoney.  \n_IV. Local Groups_ OUR TRANSMIGRATION \nPrevious chapters explained only how the emigration scheme might be\ncarried out without creating any economic disturbance. But so great a\nmovement cannot take place without inevitably rousing many deep and\npowerful feelings. There are old customs, old memories that attach us\nto our homes. We have cradles, we have graves, and we alone know how\nJewish hearts cling to the graves. Our cradles we shall carry with\nus--they hold our future, rosy and smiling. Our beloved graves we must\nabandon--and I think this abandonment will cost us more than any other\nsacrifice. But it must be so. Economic distress, political pressure, and social obloquy have already\ndriven us from our homes and from our graves. We Jews are even now\nconstantly shifting from place to place, a strong current actually\ncarrying us westward over the sea to the United States, where our\npresence is also not desired. And where will our presence be desired,\nso long as we are a homeless nation? But we shall give a home to our people. And we shall give it, not by\ndragging them ruthlessly out of their sustaining soil, but rather by\ntransplanting them carefully to a better ground. Just as we wish to\ncreate new political and economic relations, so we shall preserve as\nsacred all of the past that is dear to our people's hearts. Hence a few suggestions must suffice, as this part of my scheme will\nmost probably be condemned as visionary. Yet even this is possible and\nreal, though it now appears to be something vague and aimless.\nOrganization will make of it something rational. \nEMIGRATION IN GROUPS Our people should emigrate in groups of families and friends. But no\nman will be forced to join the particular group belonging to his\nformer place of residence. Each will be able to journey in his chosen\nfashion as soon as he has settled his affairs. Seeing that each man\nwill pay his own expenses by rail and boat, he will naturally travel\nby whatever class suits him best. Possibly there will even be no\nsubdivision for classes on board train and boat, so as to avoid making\nthe poor feel their position too keenly during their long journey.\nThough we are not exactly organizing a pleasure trip, it is as well to\nkeep them in good humor on the way. None will travel in penury; on the other hand, all who desire to\ntravel in luxurious ease will be able to follow their bent. Even under\nfavorable circumstances, the movement may not touch certain classes of\nJews for several years to come; the intervening period can therefore\nbe employed in selecting the best modes of organizing the journeys.\nThose who are well off can travel in parties if they wish, taking\ntheir personal friends and connections with them. Jews, with the\nexception of the richest, have, after all, very little intercourse\nwith Christians. In some countries their acquaintance with them is\nconfined to a few spongers, borrowers, and dependents; of a better\nclass of Christian they know nothing. The Ghetto continues though its\nwalls are broken down. The middle classes will therefore make elaborate and careful\npreparations for departure. A group of travellers will be formed in\neach locality, large towns being divided into districts with a group\nin each district, who will communicate by means of representatives\nelected for the purpose. This division into districts need not be\nstrictly adhered to; it is merely intended to alleviate the discomfort\nand home-sickness of the poor during their journey outwards. Everybody\nis free to travel either alone or attached to any local group he\nprefers. The conditions of travel--regulated according to\nclasses--will apply to all alike. Any sufficiently numerous travelling\nparty can charter a special train and special boat from the Company. The Company's housing agency will provide quarters for the poorest on\ntheir arrival. Later on, when more prosperous emigrants follow, their\nobvious need for lodgings on first landing will have to be supplied by\nhotels built by private enterprise. Some of these more prosperous\ncolonists will, indeed, have built their houses before becoming\npermanent settlers, so that they will merely move from an old home\ninto a new one. It would be an affront to our intelligent elements to point out\neverything that they have to do. Every man who attaches himself to the\nNational Idea will know how to spread it, and how to make it real\nwithin his sphere of influence. We shall first of all ask for the\ncooperation of our Rabbis. \nOUR RABBIS Every group will have its Rabbi, travelling with his congregation.\nLocal groups will afterwards form voluntarily about their Rabbi, and\neach locality will have its spiritual leader. Our Rabbis, on whom we\nespecially call, will devote their energies to the service of our\nidea, and will inspire their congregations by preaching it from the\npulpit. They will not need to address special meetings for the\npurpose; an appeal such as this may be uttered in the synagogue. And\nthus it must be done. For we feel our historic affinity only through\nthe faith of our fathers as we have long ago absorbed the languages of\ndifferent nations to an ineradicable degree. The Rabbis will receive communications regularly from both Society and\nCompany, and will announce and explain these to their congregations.\nIsrael will pray for us and for itself. \nREPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOCAL GROUPS The local groups will appoint small committees of representative men\nunder the Rabbi's presidency, for discussion and settlement of local\naffairs. Philanthropic institutions will be transferred by their local groups,\neach institution remaining \"over there\" the property of the same set\nof people for whom it was originally founded. I think the old\nbuildings should not be sold, but rather devoted to the assistance of\nindigent Christians in the forsaken towns. The local groups will\nreceive compensation by obtaining free building sites and every\nfacility for reconstruction in the new country. This transfer of philanthropic institutions will give another of those\nopportunities, which occur at different points of my scheme, for\nmaking an experiment in the service of humanity. Our present\nunsystematic private philanthropy does little good in proportion to\nthe great expenditure it involves. But these institutions can and must\nform part of a system by which they will eventually supplement one\nanother. In a new society these organizations can be evolved out of\nour modern consciousness, and may be based on all previous social\nexperiments. This matter is of great importance to us, on account of\nour large number of paupers. The weaker characters among us,\ndiscouraged by external pressure, spoilt by the soft-hearted charity\nof our rich men, easily sink until they take to begging. The Society, supported by the local groups, will give greatest\nattention to popular education with regard to this particular. It will\ncreate a fruitful soil for many powers which now wither uselessly\naway. Whoever shows a genuine desire to work will be suitably\nemployed. Beggars will not be endured. Whoever refuses to do anything\nas a free man will be sent to the workhouse. On the other hand, we shall not relegate the old to an almshouse. An\nalmshouse is one of the cruelest charities which our stupid good\nnature ever invented. There our old people die out of pure shame and\nmortification. There they are already buried. But we will leave even\nto those who stand on the lowest grade of intelligence the consoling\nillusion of their utility in the world. We will provide easy tasks for\nthose who are incapable of physical labor; for we must allow for\ndiminished vitality in the poor of an already enfeebled generation.\nBut future generations shall be dealt with otherwise; they shall be\nbrought up in liberty for a life of liberty. We will seek to bestow the moral salvation of work on men of every age\nand of every class; and thus our people will find their strength again\nin the land of the seven-hour day. \nPLANS OF THE TOWNS The local groups will delegate their authorized representatives to\nselect sites for towns. In the distribution of land every precaution\nwill be taken to effect a careful transfer with due consideration for\nacquired rights. The local groups will have plans of the towns, so that our people may\nknow beforehand where they are to go, in which towns and in which\nhouses they are to live. Comprehensive drafts of the building plans\npreviously referred to will be distributed among the local groups. The principle of our administration will be strict centralization of\nour local groups' autonomy. In this way the transfer will be\naccomplished with the minimum of pain. I do not imagine all this to be easier than it actually is; on the\nother hand, people must not imagine it to be more difficult than it is\nin reality. \nTHE DEPARTURE OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES The middle classes will involuntarily be drawn into the outgoing\ncurrent, for their sons will be officials of the Society or employees\nof the Company \"over there.\" Lawyers, doctors, technicians of every\ndescription, young business people--in fact, all Jews who are in\nsearch of opportunities, who now escape from oppression in their\nnative country to earn a living in foreign lands--will assemble on a\nsoil so full of fair promise. The daughters of the middle classes will\nmarry these ambitious men. One of them will send for his wife or\nfiancee to come out to him, another for his parents, brothers and\nsisters. Members of a new civilization marry young. This will promote\ngeneral morality and ensure sturdiness in the new generation; and thus\nwe shall have no delicate offspring of late marriages, children of\nfathers who spent their strength in the struggle for life. Every middle-class emigrant will draw more of his kind after him. The bravest will naturally get the best out of the new world. But there we seem undoubtedly to have touched on the crucial\ndifficulty of my plan. Even if we succeeded in opening a world discussion on the Jewish\nQuestion in a serious manner-- Even if this debate led us to a positive conclusion that the Jewish\nState were necessary to the world-- Even if the Powers assisted us in acquiring the sovereignty over a\nstrip of territory-- How are we to transport masses of Jews without undue compulsion from\ntheir present homes to this new country? Their emigration is surely intended to be voluntary. \nTHE PHENOMENON OF MULTITUDES Great exertions will hardly be necessary to spur on the movement.\nAnti-Semites provide the requisite impetus. They need only do what\nthey did before, and then they will create a desire to emigrate where\nit did not previously exist, and strengthen it where it existed\nbefore. Jews who now remain in Anti-Semitic countries do so chiefly\nbecause even those among them who are most ignorant of history know\nthat numerous changes of residence in bygone centuries never brought\nthem any permanent good. Any land which welcomed the Jews today, and\noffered them even fewer advantages than that which the Jewish State\nwould guarantee them, would immediately attract a great influx of our\npeople. The poorest, who have nothing to lose would drag themselves\nthere. But I maintain, and every man may ask himself whether I am not\nright, that the pressure weighing on us arouses a desire to emigrate\neven among prosperous strata of society. Now our poorest strata alone\nwould suffice to found a State; these form the strongest human\nmaterial for acquiring a land, because a little despair is\nindispensable to the formation of a great undertaking. But when our \"desperados\" increase the value of the land by their\npresence and by the labor they expend on it, they make it at the same\ntime increasingly attractive as a place of settlement to people who\nare better off. Higher and yet higher strata will feel tempted to go over. The\nexpedition of the first and poorest settlers will be conducted by\nCompany and Society conjointly, and will probably be additionally\nsupported by existing emigration and Zionist societies. How may a number of people be directed to a particular spot without\nbeing given express orders to go there? There are certain Jewish\nbenefactors on a large scale who try to alleviate the sufferings of\nthe Jews by Zionist experiments. To them this problem also presented\nitself, and they thought to solve it by giving the emigrants money or\nmeans of employment. Thus the philanthropists said: \"We pay these\npeople to go there.\" Such a procedure is utterly wrong, and all the money in the world will\nnot achieve its purpose. On the other hand, the Company will say: \"We shall not pay them, we\nshall let them pay us. We shall merely offer them some inducements to\ngo.\" A fanciful illustration will make my meaning more explicit: One of\nthose philanthropists (whom we will call \"The Baron\") and myself both\nwish to get a crowd of people on to the plain of Longchamps near\nParis, on a hot Sunday afternoon. The Baron, by promising them 10\nfrancs each, will, for 200,000 francs, bring out 20,000 perspiring and\nmiserable people, who will curse him for having given them so much\nannoyance. Whereas I will offer these 200,000 francs as a prize for\nthe swiftest racehorse--and then I shall have to put up barriers to\nkeep the people off Longchamps. They will pay to go in: 1 franc, 5\nfrancs, 20 francs. The consequence will be that I shall get the half-a-million of people\nout there; the President of the Republic will drive up \"a la Daumont\";\nand the crowds will enjoy and amuse themselves. Most of them will\nthink it an agreeable walk in the open air in spite of heat and dust;\nand I shall have made by my 200,000 francs about a million in entrance\nmoney and taxes on gaming. I shall get the same people out there\nwhenever I like but the Baron will not--not on any account. I will give a more serious illustration of the phenomenon of\nmultitudes where they are earning a livelihood. Let any man attempt to\ncry through the streets of a town: \"Whoever is willing to stand all\nday long through a winter's terrible cold, through a summer's\ntormenting heat, in an iron hall exposed on all sides, there to\naddress every passer-by, and to offer him fancy wares, or fish, or\nfruit, will receive two florins, or four francs or something similar.\" How many people would go to the hall? How many days would they hold\nout when hunger drove them there? And if they held out, what energy\nwould they display in trying to persuade passers-by to buy fish, fruit\nand fancy wares? We shall set about it in a different way. In places where trade is\nactive, and these places we shall the more easily discover, since we\nourselves direct trade withersoever we wish, in these places we shall\nbuild large halls, and call them markets. These halls might be worse\nbuilt and more unwholesome than those above mentioned, and yet people\nwould stream towards them. But we shall use our best efforts, and we\nshall build them better, and make them more beautiful than the first.\nAnd the people, to whom we had promised nothing, because we cannot\npromise anything without deceiving them, these excellent, keen\nbusiness men will gaily create most active commercial intercourse.\nThey will harangue the buyers unweariedly; they will stand on their\nfeet, and scarcely think of fatigue. They will hurry off at dawn, so\nas to be first on the spot; they will form unions, cartels, anything\nto continue bread-winning undisturbed. And if they find at the end of\nthe day that all their hard work has produced only 1 florin, 50\nkreutzer, or 3 francs, or something similar, they will yet look\nforward hopefully to the next day, which may, perhaps, bring them\nbetter luck. We have given them hope. Would any one ask whence the demand comes which creates the market? Is\nit really necessary to tell them again? I pointed out that by means of the system \"Assistance par le Travail\"\nthe return could be increased fifteenfold. One million would produce\nfifteen millions; and one thousand millions, fifteen thousand\nmillions. This may be the case on a small scale; is it so on a large one?\nCapital surely yields a return diminishing in inverse ratio to its own\ngrowth. Inactive and inert capital yields this diminishing return, but\nactive capital brings in a marvellously increasing return. Herein lies\nthe social question. Am I stating a fact? I call on the richest Jews as witnesses of my\nveracity. Why do they carry on so many different industries? Why do\nthey send men to work underground and to raise coal amid terrible\ndangers for meagre pay? I cannot imagine this to be pleasant, even for\nthe owners of the mines. For I do not believe that capitalists are\nheartless, and I do not pretend that I believe it. My desire is not to\naccentuate, but to smooth differences. Is it necessary to illustrate the phenomenon of multitudes, and their\nconcentration on a particular spot by references to pious pilgrimages? I do not want to hurt anyone's religious sensibility by words which\nmight be wrongly interpreted. I shall merely refer quite briefly to the Mohammedan pilgrimages to\nMecca, the Catholic pilgrimages to Lourdes, and to many other spots\nwhence men return comforted by their faith, and to the holy Hock at\nTrier. Thus we shall also create a center for the deep religious needs\nof our people. Our ministers will understand us first, and will be\nwith us in this. We shall let every man find salvation \"over there\" in his own\nparticular way. Above and before all we shall make room for the\nimmortal band of our Freethinkers, who are continually making new\nconquests for humanity. No more force will be exercised on any one than is necessary for the\npreservation of the State and order; and the requisite force will not\nbe arbitrarily defined by one or more shifting authorities; it will be\nfixed by iron laws. Now, if the illustrations I gave make people draw the inference that a\nmultitude can be only temporarily attracted to centers of faith, of\nbusiness, or of amusement, the reply to their objection is simple.\nWhereas one of these objects by itself would certainly only attract\nthe masses, all these centers of attraction combined would be\ncalculated permanently to hold and satisfy them. For all these centers\ntogether form a single, great, long-sought object, which our people\nhas always longed to attain, for which it has kept itself alive, for\nwhich it has been kept alive by external pressure--a free home! When\nthe movement commences, we shall draw some men after us and let others\nfollow; others again will be swept into the current, and the last will\nbe thrust after us. These last hesitating settlers will be the worst off, both here and\nthere. But the first, who go over with faith, enthusiasm, and courage will\nhave the best positions. \nOUR HUMAN MATERIAL There are more mistaken notions abroad concerning Jews than concerning\nany other people. And we have become so depressed and discouraged by\nour historic sufferings that we ourselves repeat and believe these\nmistakes. One of these is that we have an immoderate love of business.\nNow it is well known that wherever we are permitted to take part in\nthe rising of classes, we give up our business as soon as possible.\nThe great majority of Jewish business men give their sons a superior\neducation. Hence, the so-called \"Judaizing\" of all intellectual\nprofessions. But even in economically feebler grades of society, our\nlove of trade is not so predominant as is generally supposed. In the\nEastern countries of Europe there are great numbers of Jews who are\nnot traders, and who are not afraid of hard work either. The Society\nof Jews will be in a position to prepare scientifically accurate\nstatistics of our human forces. The new tasks and prospects that await\nour people in the new country will satisfy our present handicraftsmen,\nand will transform many present small traders into manual workers. A peddler who travels about the country with a heavy pack on his back\nis not so contented as his persecutors imagine. The seven-hour day\nwill convert all of his kind into workmen. They are good,\nmisunderstood people, who now suffer perhaps more severely than any\nothers. The Society of Jews will, moreover, busy itself from the\noutset with their training as artisans. Their love of gain will be\nencouraged in a healthy manner. Jews are of a thrifty and adaptable\ndisposition, and are qualified for any means of earning a living, and\nit will therefore suffice to make small trading unremunerative, to\ncause even present peddlers to give it up altogether. This could be\nbrought about, for example, by encouraging large department stores\nwhich provide all necessaries of life. These general stores are\nalready crushing small trading in large cities. In a land of new\ncivilization they will absolutely prevent its existence. The\nestablishment of these stores is further advantageous, because it\nmakes the country immediately habitable for people who require more\nrefined necessaries of life. \nHABITS Is a reference to the little habits and comforts of the ordinary man\nin keeping with the serious nature of this pamphlet? I think it is in keeping, and, moreover, very important. For these\nlittle habits are the thousand and one fine delicate threads which\ntogether go to make up an unbreakable rope. Here certain limited notions must be set aside. Whoever has seen\nanything of the world knows that just these little daily customs can\neasily be transplanted everywhere. The technical contrivances of our\nday, which this scheme intends to employ in the service of humanity,\nhave heretofore been principally used for our little habits. There are\nEnglish hotels in Egypt and on the mountain-crest in Switzerland,\nVienna cafes in South Africa, French theatres in Russia, German operas\nin America, and best Bavarian beer in Paris. When we journey out of Egypt again we shall not leave the fleshpots\nbehind. Every man will find his customs again in the local groups, but they\nwill be better, more beautiful, and more agreeable than before.  \n_V. Society of Jews and Jewish State_ NEGOTIORUM GESTIO \nThis pamphlet is not intended for lawyers. I can therefore touch only\ncursorily, as on so many other things, upon my theory of the legal\nbasis of a State. I must, nevertheless, lay some stress on my new theory, which could be\nmaintained, I believe, even in discussion with men well versed in\njurisprudence. According to Rousseau's now antiquated view, a State is formed by a\nsocial contract. Rousseau held that: \"The conditions of this contract\nare so precisely defined by the nature of the agreement that the\nslightest alteration would make them null and void. The consequence is\nthat, even where they are not expressly stated, they are everywhere\nidentical, and everywhere tacitly accepted and recognized,\" etc. A logical and historic refutation of Rousseau's theory was never, nor\nis now, difficult, however terrible and far-reaching its effects may\nhave been. The question whether a social contract with \"conditions not\nexpressly stated, yet unalterable,\" existed before the framing of a\nconstitution, is of no practical interest to States under modern forms\nof government. The legal relationship between government and citizen\nis in any case clearly established now. But previous to the framing of a constitution, and during the creation\nof a new State, these principles assume great practical importance. We\nknow and see for ourselves that States still continue to be created.\nColonies secede from the mother country. Vassals fall away from their\nsuzerain; newly opened territories are immediately formed into free\nStates. It is true that the Jewish State is conceived as a peculiarly\nmodern structure on unspecified territory. But a State is formed, not\nby pieces of land, but rather by a number of men united under\nsovereign rule. The people is the subjective, land the objective foundation of a\nState, and the subjective basis is the more important of the two. One\nsovereignty, for example, which has no objective basis at all, is\nperhaps the most respected one in the world. I refer to the\nsovereignty of the Pope. The theory of rationality is the one at present accepted in political\nscience. This theory suffices to justify the creation of a State, and\ncannot be historically refuted in the same way as the theory of a\ncontract. Insofar as I am concerned only with the creation of a Jewish\nState, I am well within the limits of the theory of rationality. But\nwhen I touch upon the legal basis of the State, I have exceeded them.\nThe theories of a divine institution, or of superior power, or of a\ncontract, and the patriarchal and patrimonial theories do not accord\nwith modern views. The legal basis of a State is sought either too\nmuch within men (patriarchal theory, and theories of superior force\nand contract), or too far above them (divine institution), or too far\nbelow them (objective patrimonial theory). The theory of rationality\nleaves this question conveniently and carefully unanswered. But a\nquestion which has seriously occupied doctors of jurisprudence in\nevery age cannot be an absolutely idle one. As a matter of fact, a\nmixture of human and superhuman goes to the making of a State. Some\nlegal basis is indispensable to explain the somewhat oppressive\nrelationship in which subjects occasionally stand to rulers. I believe\nit is to be found in the _negotiorum gestio_, wherein the body of\ncitizens represents the _dominus negotiorum_, and the government\nrepresents the _gestor_. The Romans, with their marvellous sense of justice, produced that\nnoble masterpiece, the _negotiorum gestio_. When the property of an\noppressed person is in danger, any man may step forward to save it.\nThis man is the _gestor_, the director of affairs not strictly his\nown. He has received no warrant--that is, no human warrant; higher\nobligations authorize him to act. The higher obligations may be\nformulated in different ways for the State, and so as to respond to\nindividual degrees of culture attained by a growing general power of\ncomprehension. The _gestio_ is intended to work for the good of the\n_dominus_--the people, to whom the _gestor_ himself belongs. The _gestor_ administers property of which he is joint-owner. His\njoint proprietorship teaches him what urgency would warrant his\nintervention, and would demand his leadership in peace or war; but\nunder no circumstances is his authority valid _qua_ joint\nproprietorship. The consent of the numerous joint-owners is even under\nmost favorable conditions a matter of conjecture. A State is created by a nation's struggle for existence. In any such\nstruggle it is impossible to obtain proper authority in circumstantial\nfashion beforehand. In fact, any previous attempt to obtain a regular\ndecision from the majority would probably ruin the undertaking from\nthe outset. For internal schisms would make the people defenceless\nagainst external dangers. We cannot all be of one mind; the _gestor_\nwill therefore simply take the leadership into his hands and march in\nthe van. The action of the _gestor_ of the State is sufficiently warranted if\nthe common cause is in danger, and the _dominus_ is prevented, either\nby want of will or by some other reason, from helping itself. But the _gestor_ becomes similar to the _dominus_ by his intervention,\nand is bound by the agreement _quasi ex contractu_. This is the legal\nrelationship existing before, or, more correctly, created\nsimultaneously with the State. The _gestor_ thus becomes answerable for every form of negligence,\neven for the failure of business undertakings, and the neglect of such\naffairs as are intimately connected with them, etc. I shall not\nfurther enlarge on the _negotiorum gestio_, but rather leave it to the\nState, else it would take us too far from the main subject. One remark\nonly: \"Business management, if it is approved by the owner, is just as\neffectual as if it had originally been carried on by his authority.\" And how does all this affect our case? The Jewish people are at present prevented by the Diaspora from\nconducting their political affairs themselves. Besides, they are in a\ncondition of more or less severe distress in many parts of the world.\nThey need, above all things a _gestor_. This _gestor_ cannot, of\ncourse, be a single individual. Such a one would either make himself\nridiculous, or--seeing that he would appear to be working for his own\ninterests--contemptible. The _gestor_ of the Jews must therefore be a body corporate. And that is the Society of Jews. \nTHE GESTOR OF THE JEWS This organ of the national movement, the nature and functions of which\nwe are at last dealing with, will, in fact, be created before\neverything else. Its formation is perfectly simple. It will take shape\namong those energetic Jews to whom I imparted my scheme in London.[B] The Society will have scientific and political tasks, for the founding\nof a Jewish State, as I conceive it, presupposes the application of\nscientific methods. We cannot journey out of Egypt today in the\nprimitive fashion of ancient times. We shall previously obtain an\naccurate account of our number and strength. The undertaking of that\ngreat and ancient _gestor_ of the Jews in primitive days bears much\nthe same relation to ours that some wonderful melody bears to a modern\nopera. We are playing the same melody with many more violins, flutes,\nharps, violoncellos, and bass viols; with electric light, decorations,\nchoirs, beautiful costumes, and with the first singers of their day. This pamphlet is intended to open a general discussion on the Jewish\nQuestion. Friends and foes will take part in it; but it will no\nlonger, I hope, take the form of violent abuse or of sentimental\nvindication, but of a debate, practical, large, earnest, and\npolitical. The Society of Jews will gather all available declarations of\nstatesmen, parliaments, Jewish communities, societies, whether\nexpressed in speeches or writings, in meetings, newspapers or books. Thus the Society will find out for the first time whether the Jews\nreally wish to go to the Promised Land, and whether they must go\nthere. Every Jewish community in the world will send contributions to\nthe Society towards a comprehensive collection of Jewish statistics. Further tasks, such as investigation by experts of the new country and\nits natural resources, the uniform planning of migration and\nsettlement, preliminary work for legislation and administration,\netc., must be rationally evolved out of the original scheme. Externally, the Society will attempt, as I explained before in the\ngeneral part, to be acknowledged as a State-forming power. The free\nassent of many Jews will confer on it the requisite authority in its\nrelations with Governments. Internally, that is to say, in its relation with the Jewish people,\nthe Society will create all the first indispensable institutions; it\nwill be the nucleus out of which the public institutions of the Jewish\nState will later on be developed. Our first object is, as I said before, supremacy, assured to us by\ninternational law, over a portion of the globe sufficiently large to\nsatisfy our just requirements. What is the next step? \nTHE OCCUPATION OF THE LAND When nations wandered in historic times, they let chance carry them,\ndraw them, fling them hither and thither, and like swarms of locusts\nthey settled down indifferently anywhere. For in historic times the\nearth was not known to man. But this modern Jewish migration must\nproceed in accordance with scientific principles. Not more than forty years ago gold-digging was carried on in an\nextraordinarily primitive fashion. What adventurous days were those in\nCalifornia! A report brought desperados together from every quarter of\nthe earth; they stole pieces of land, robbed each other of gold, and\nfinally gambled it away, as robbers do. But today! What is gold-digging like in the Transvaal today?\nAdventurous vagabonds are not there; sedate geologists and engineers\nalone are on the spot to regulate its gold industry, and to employ\ningenious machinery in separating the ore from surrounding rock.\nLittle is left to chance now. Thus we must investigate and take possession of the new Jewish country\nby means of every modern expedient. As soon as we have secured the land, we shall send over a ship, having\non board the representatives of the Society, of the Company, and of\nthe local groups, who will enter into possession at once. These men will have three tasks to perform: (1) An accurate,\nscientific investigation of all natural resources of the country; (2)\nthe organization of a strictly centralized administration; (3) the\ndistribution of land. These tasks intersect one another, and will all\nbe carried out in conformity with the now familiar object in view. One thing remains to be explained--namely, how the occupation of land\naccording to local groups is to take place. In America the occupation of newly opened territory is set about in\nnaive fashion. The settlers assemble on the frontier, and at the\nappointed time make a simultaneous and violent rush for their\nportions. We shall not proceed thus to the new land of the Jews. The lots in\nprovinces and towns will be sold by auction, and paid for, not in\nmoney, but in work. The general plan will have settled on streets,\nbridges, waterworks, etc., necessary for traffic. These will be united\ninto provinces. Within these provinces sites for towns will be\nsimilarly sold by auction. The local groups will pledge themselves to\ncarry the business property through, and will cover the cost by means\nof self-imposed assessments. The Society will be in a position to\njudge whether the local groups are not venturing on sacrifices too\ngreat for their means. The large communities will receive large sites\nfor their activity. Great sacrifices will thus be rewarded by the\nestablishment of universities, technical schools, academies, research\ninstitutes, etc., and these Government institutes, which do not have\nto be concentrated in the capital, will be distributed over the\ncountry. The personal interest of the buyers, and, if necessary, the local\nassessment, will guarantee the proper working of what has been taken\nover. In the same way, as we cannot, and indeed do not wish to\nobliterate distinctions between single individuals, so the differences\nbetween local groups will also continue. Everything will shape itself\nquite naturally. All acquired rights will be protected, and every new\ndevelopment will be given sufficient scope. Our people will be made thoroughly acquainted with all these matters. We shall not take others unawares or mislead them, any more than we\nshall deceive ourselves. Everything must be systematically settled beforehand. I merely\nindicate this scheme: our keenest thinkers will combine in elaborating\nit. Every social and technical achievement of our age and of the more\nadvanced age which will be reached before the slow execution of my\nplan is accomplished must be employed for this object. Every valuable\ninvention which exists now, or lies in the future, must be used. By\nthese means a country can be occupied and a State founded in a manner\nas yet unknown to history, and with possibilities of success such, as\nnever occurred before. \nCONSTITUTION One of the great commissions which the Society will have to appoint\nwill be the council of State jurists. These must formulate the best,\nthat is, the best modern constitution possible. I believe that a good\nconstitution should be of moderately elastic nature. In another work I\nhave explained in detail what forms of government I hold to be the\nbest. I think a democratic monarchy and an aristocratic republic are\nthe finest forms of a State, because in them the form of State and the\nprinciple of government are opposed to each other, and thus preserve a\ntrue balance of power. I am a staunch supporter of monarchial\ninstitutions, because these allow of a continuous policy, and\nrepresent the interests of a historically famous family born and\neducated to rule, whose desires are bound up with the preservation of\nthe State. But our history has been too long interrupted for us to\nattempt direct continuity of ancient constitutional forms, without\nexposing ourselves to the charge of absurdity. A democracy without a sovereign's useful counterpoise is extreme in\nappreciation and condemnation, tends to idle discussion in Parliaments,\nand produces that objectionable class of men--professional politicians.\nNations are also really not fit for unlimited democracy at present, and\nwill become less and less fitted for it in the future. For a pure\ndemocracy presupposes a predominance of simple customs, and our customs\nbecome daily more complex with the growth of commerce and increase of\nculture. \"_Le ressort d'une democratic est la vertu_,\" said wise\nMontesquieu. And where is this virtue, that is to say, this political\nvirtue, to be met with? I do not believe in our political virtue;\nfirst, because we are no better than the rest of modern humanity; and,\nsecondly, because freedom will make us show our fighting qualities at\nfirst. I also hold a settling of questions by the referendum to be an\nunsatisfactory procedure, because there are no simple political\nquestions which can be answered merely by Yes and No. The masses are\nalso more prone even than Parliaments to be led away by heterodox\nopinions, and to be swayed by vigorous ranting. It is impossible to\nformulate a wise internal or external policy in a popular assembly. Politics must take shape in the upper strata and work downwards. But\nno member of the Jewish State will be oppressed, every man will be\nable and will wish to rise in it. Thus a great upward tendency will\npass through our people; every individual by trying to raise himself,\nraising also the whole body of citizens. The ascent will take a normal\nform, useful to the State and serviceable to the National Idea. Hence I incline to an aristocratic republic. This would satisfy the\nambitious spirit in our people, which has now degenerated into petty\nvanity. Many of the institutions of Venice pass through my mind; but\nall that which caused the ruin of Venice must be carefully avoided. We\nshall learn from the historic mistakes of others, in the same way as\nwe learn from our own; for we are a modern nation, and wish to be the\nmost modern in the world. Our people, who are receiving the new\ncountry from the Society, will also thankfully accept the new\nconstitution it offers them. Should any opposition manifest itself,\nthe Society will suppress it. The Society cannot permit the exercise\nof its functions to be interpreted by short-sighted or ill-disposed\nindividuals. \nLANGUAGE It might be suggested that our want of a common current language would\npresent difficulties. We cannot converse with one another in Hebrew.\nWho amongst us has a sufficient acquaintance with Hebrew to ask for a\nrailway ticket in that language? Such a thing cannot be done. Yet the\ndifficulty is very easily circumvented. Every man can preserve the\nlanguage in which his thoughts are at home. Switzerland affords a\nconclusive proof of the possibility of a federation of tongues. We\nshall remain in the new country what we now are here, and we shall\nnever cease to cherish with sadness the memory of the native land out\nof which we have been driven. We shall give up using those miserable stunted jargons, those Ghetto\nlanguages which we still employ, for these were the stealthy tongues\nof prisoners. Our national teachers will give due attention to this\nmatter; and the language which proves itself to be of greatest utility\nfor general intercourse will be adopted without compulsion as our\nnational tongue. Our community of race is peculiar and unique, for we\nare bound together only by the faith of our fathers. \nTHEOCRACY Shall we end by having a theocracy? No, indeed. Faith unites us,\nknowledge gives us freedom. We shall therefore prevent any theocratic\ntendencies from coming to the fore on the part of our priesthood. We\nshall keep our priests within the confines of their temples in the\nsame way as we shall keep our professional army within the confines of\ntheir barracks. Army and priesthood shall receive honors high as their\nvaluable functions deserve. But they must not interfere in the\nadministration of the State which confers distinction upon them, else\nthey will conjure up difficulties without and within. Every man will be as free and undisturbed in his faith or his\ndisbelief as he is in his nationality. And if it should occur that men\nof other creeds and different nationalities come to live amongst us,\nwe should accord them honorable protection and equality before the\nlaw. We have learnt toleration in Europe. This is not sarcastically\nsaid; for the Anti-Semitism of today could only in a very few places\nbe taken for old religious intolerance. It is for the most part a\nmovement among civilized nations by which they try to chase away the\nspectres of their own past. \nLAWS When the idea of a State begins to approach realization, the Society\nof Jews will appoint a council of jurists to do the preparatory work\nof legislation. During the transition period these must act on the\nprinciple that every emigrant Jew is to be judged according to the\nlaws of the country which he has left. But they must try to bring\nabout a unification of these various laws to form a modern system of\nlegislation based on the best portions of previous systems. This might\nbecome a typical codification, embodying all the just social claims of\nthe present day. \nTHE ARMY The Jewish State is conceived as a neutral one. It will therefore\nrequire only a professional army, equipped, of course, with every\nrequisite of modern warfare, to preserve order internally and\nexternally. \nTHE FLAG We have no flag, and we need one. If we desire to lead many men, we\nmust raise a symbol above their heads. I would suggest a white flag, with seven golden stars. The white field\nsymbolizes our pure new life; the stars are the seven golden hours of\nour working-day. For we shall march into the Promised Land carrying\nthe badge of honor. \nRECIPROCITY AND EXTRADITION TREATIES The new Jewish State must be properly founded, with due regard to our\nfuture honorable position in the world. Therefore every obligation in\nthe old country must be scrupulously fulfilled before leaving. The\nSociety of Jews and the Jewish Company will grant cheap passage and\ncertain advantages in settlement to those only who can present an\nofficial testimonial from the local authorities, certifying that they\nhave left their affairs in good order. Every just private claim originating in the abandoned countries will\nbe heard more readily in the Jewish State than anywhere else. We shall\nnot wait for reciprocity; we shall act purely for the sake of our own\nhonor. We shall thus perhaps find, later on, that law courts will be\nmore willing to hear our claims than now seems to be the case in some\nplaces. It will be inferred, as a matter of course, from previous remarks,\nthat we shall deliver up Jewish criminals more readily than any other\nState would do, till the time comes when we can enforce our penal code\non the same principles as every other civilized nation does. There\nwill therefore be a period of transition, during which we shall\nreceive our criminals only after they have suffered due penalties.\nBut, having made amends, they will be received without any\nrestrictions whatever, for our criminals also must enter upon a new\nlife. Thus emigration may become to many Jews a crisis with a happy issue.\nBad external circumstances, which ruin many a character, will be\nremoved, and this change may mean salvation to many who are lost. Here I should like briefly to relate a story I came across in an\naccount of the gold mines of Witwatersrand. One day a man came to the\nRand, settled there, tried his hand at various things, with the\nexception of gold mining, till he founded an ice factory, which did\nwell. He soon won universal esteem by his respectability, but after\nsome years he was suddenly arrested. He had committed some\ndefalcations as banker in Frankfort, had fled from there, and had\nbegun a new life under an assumed name. But when he was led away as\nprisoner, the most respected people in the place appeared at the\nstation, bade him a cordial farewell and _au revoir_--for he was\ncertain to return. How much this story reveals! A new life can regenerate even criminals,\nand we have a proportionately small number of these. Some interesting\nstatistics on this point are worth reading, entitled \"The Criminality\nof Jews in Germany,\" by Dr. P. Nathan, of Berlin, who was commissioned\nby the \"Society for Defense against Anti-Semitism\" to make a\ncollection of statistics based on official returns. It is true that\nthis pamphlet, which teems with figures, has been prompted, as many\nanother \"defence,\" by the error that Anti-Semitism can be refuted by\nreasonable arguments. We are probably disliked as much for our gifts\nas we are for our faults. \nBENEFITS OF THE EMIGRATION OF THE JEWS I imagine that Governments will, either voluntarily or under pressure\nfrom the Anti-Semites, pay certain attention to this scheme, and they\nmay perhaps actually receive it here and there with a sympathy which\nthey will also show to the Society of Jews. For the emigration which I suggest will not create any economic\ncrises. Such crises as would follow everywhere in consequence of\nJew-baiting would rather be prevented by the carrying out of my plan.\nA great period of prosperity would commence in countries which are\nnow Anti-Semitic. For there will be, as I have repeatedly said, an\ninternal migration of Christian citizens into the positions slowly and\nsystematically evacuated by the Jews. If we are not merely suffered,\nbut actually assisted to do this, the movement will have a generally\nbeneficial effect. That is a narrow view, from which one should free\noneself, which sees in the departure of many Jews a consequent\nimpoverishment of countries. It is different from a departure which is\na result of persecution, for then property is indeed destroyed, as it\nis ruined in the confusion of war. Different again is the peaceable\nvoluntary departure of colonists, wherein everything is carried out\nwith due consideration for acquired rights, and with absolute\nconformity to law, openly and by light of day, under the eyes of the\nauthorities and the control of public opinion. The emigration of\nChristian proletarians to different parts of the world would be\nbrought to a standstill by the Jewish movement. The States would have a further advantage in the enormous increase of\ntheir export trade; for, since the emigrant Jews \"over there\" would\ndepend for a long time to come on European productions, they would\nnecessarily have to import them. The local groups would keep up a just\nbalance, and the customary needs would have to be supplied for a long\ntime at the accustomed places. Another, and perhaps one of the greatest advantages, would be the\nensuing social relief. Social dissatisfaction would be appeased during\nthe twenty or more years which the emigration of the Jews would\noccupy, and would in any case be set at rest during the whole\ntransition period. The shape which the social question may take depends entirely on the\ndevelopment of our technical resources. Steampower concentrated men in\nfactories about machinery where they were overcrowded, and where they\nmade one another miserable by overcrowding. Our present enormous,\ninjudicious, and unsystematic rate of production is the cause of\ncontinual severe crises which ruin both employers and employees. Steam\ncrowded men together; electricity will probably scatter them again,\nand may perhaps bring about a more prosperous condition of the labor\nmarket. In any case our technical inventors, who are the true\nbenefactors of humanity, will continue their labors after the\ncommencement of the emigration of the Jews, and they will discover\nthings as marvellous as those we have already seen, or indeed more\nwonderful even than these. The word \"impossible\" has ceased to exist in the vocabulary of\ntechnical science. Were a man who lived in the last century to return\nto the earth, he would find the life of today full of incomprehensible\nmagic. Wherever the moderns appear with our inventions, we transform\nthe desert into a garden. To build a city takes in our time as many\nyears as it formerly required centuries; America offers endless\nexamples of this. Distance has ceased to be an obstacle. The spirit of\nour age has gathered fabulous treasures into its storehouse. Every day\nthis wealth increases. A hundred thousand heads are occupied with\nspeculations and research at every point of the globe, and what any\none discovers belongs the next moment to the whole world. We ourselves\nwill use and carry on every new attempt in our Jewish land; and just\nas we shall introduce the seven-hour day as an experiment for the good\nof humanity, so we shall proceed in everything else in the same humane\nspirit, making of the new land a land of experiments and a model\nState. After the departure of the Jews the undertakings which they have\ncreated will remain where they originally were found. And the Jewish\nspirit of enterprise will not even fail where people welcome it. For\nJewish capitalists will be glad to invest their funds where they are\nfamiliar with surrounding conditions. And whereas Jewish money is now\nsent out of countries on account of existing persecutions, and is sunk\nin most distant foreign undertakings, it will flow back again in\nconsequence of this peaceable solution, and will contribute to the\nfurther progress of the countries which the Jews have left. \nFOOTNOTES: [B] Dr. Herzl addressed a meeting of the Maccabean Club, at which\nIsrael Zangwill presided, on November 24th, 1895.  \n_VI. Conclusion_ \nHow much has been left unexplained, how many defects, how many harmful\nsuperficialities, and how many useless repetitions in this pamphlet,\nwhich I have thought over so long and so often revised! But a fair-minded reader, who has sufficient understanding to grasp\nthe spirit of my words, will not be repelled by these defects. He will\nrather be roused thereby to cooperate with his intelligence and energy\nin a work which is not one man's task alone, and to improve it. Have I not explained obvious things and overlooked important\nobjections? I have tried to meet certain objections; but I know that many more\nwill be made, based on high grounds and low. To the first class of objections belongs the remark that the Jews are\nnot the only people in the world who are in a condition of distress.\nHere I would reply that we may as well begin by removing a little of\nthis misery, even if it should at first be no more than our own. It might further be said that we ought not to create new distinctions\nbetween people; we ought not to raise fresh barriers, we should rather\nmake the old disappear. But men who think in this way are amiable\nvisionaries; and the idea of a native land will still flourish when\nthe dust of their bones will have vanished tracelessly in the winds.\nUniversal brotherhood is not even a beautiful dream. Antagonism is\nessential to man's greatest efforts. But the Jews, once settled in their own State, would probably have no\nmore enemies. As for those who remain behind, since prosperity\nenfeebles and causes them to diminish, they would soon disappear\naltogether. I think the Jews will always have sufficient enemies, such\nas every nation has. But once fixed in their own land, it will no\nlonger be possible for them to scatter all over the world. The\ndiaspora cannot be reborn, unless the civilization of the whole earth\nshould collapse; and such a consummation could be feared by none but\nfoolish men. Our present civilization possesses weapons powerful\nenough for its self-defence. Innumerable objections will be based on low grounds, for there are\nmore low men than noble in this world. I have tried to remove some of\nthese narrow-minded notions; and whoever is willing to fall in behind\nour white flag with its seven stars, must assist in this campaign of\nenlightenment. Perhaps we shall have to fight first of all against\nmany an evil-disposed, narrow-hearted, short-sighted member of our own\nrace. Again, people will say that I am furnishing the Anti-Semites with\nweapons. Why so? Because I admit the truth? Because I do not maintain\nthat there are none but excellent men against us? Will not people say that I am showing our enemies the way to injure\nus? This I absolutely dispute. My proposal could only be carried out\nwith the free consent of a majority of Jews. Action may be taken\nagainst individuals or even against groups of the most powerful Jews,\nbut Governments will never take action against all Jews. The equal\nrights of the Jew before the law cannot be withdrawn where they have\nonce been conceded; for the first attempt at withdrawal would\nimmediately drive all Jews, rich and poor alike, into the ranks of\nrevolutionary parties. The beginning of any official acts of injustice\nagainst the Jews invariably brings about economic crises. Therefore,\nno weapons can be effectually used against us, because these injure\nthe hands that wield them. Meantime hatred grows apace. The rich do\nnot feel it much, but our poor do. Let us ask our poor, who have been\nmore severely proletarized since the last removal of Anti-Semitism\nthan ever before. Some of our prosperous men may say that the pressure is not yet severe\nenough to justify emigration, and that every forcible expulsion shows\nhow unwilling our people are to depart. True, because they do not know\nwhere to go; because they only pass from one trouble into another. But\nwe are showing them the way to the Promised Land; and the splendid\nforce of enthusiasm must fight against the terrible force of habit. Persecutions are no longer so malignant as they were in the Middle\nAges? True, but our sensitiveness has increased, so that we feel no\ndiminution in our sufferings; prolonged persecution has overstrained\nour nerves. Will people say, again, that our enterprise is hopeless, because even\nif we obtained the land with supremacy over it, the poor only would go\nwith us? It is precisely the poorest whom we need at first. Only the\ndesperate make good conquerors. Will some one say: Were it feasible it would have been done long ago? It has never yet been possible; now it is possible. A hundred--or even\nfifty years ago it would have been nothing more than a dream. Today it\nmay become a reality. Our rich, who have a pleasurable acquaintance\nwith all our technical achievements, know full well how much money can\ndo. And thus it will be; just the poor and simple, who do not know\nwhat power man already exercises over the forces of Nature, just these\nwill have the firmest faith in the new message. For these have never\nlost their hope of the Promised Land. Here it is, fellow Jews! Neither fable nor deception! Every man may\ntest its reality for himself, for every man will carry over with him a\nportion of the Promised Land--one in his head, another in his arms,\nanother in his acquired possessions. Now, all this may appear to be an interminably long affair. Even in\nthe most favorable circumstances, many years might elapse before the\ncommencement of the foundation of the State. In the meantime, Jews in\na thousand different places would suffer insults, mortifications,\nabuse, blows, depredation, and death. No; if we only begin to carry\nout the plans, Anti-Semitism would stop at once and for ever. For it\nis the conclusion of peace. The news of the formation of our Jewish Company will be carried in a\nsingle day to the remotest ends of the earth by the lightning speed of\nour telegraph wires. And immediate relief will ensue. The intellects which we produce so\nsuperabundantly in our middle classes will find an outlet in our first\norganizations, as our first technicians, officers, professors,\nofficials, lawyers, and doctors; and thus the movement will continue\nin swift but smooth progression. Prayers will be offered up for the success of our work in temples and\nin churches also; for it will bring relief from an old burden, which\nall have suffered. But we must first bring enlightenment to men's minds. The idea must\nmake its way into the most distant, miserable holes where our people\ndwell. They will awaken from gloomy brooding, for into their lives\nwill come a new significance. Every man need think only of himself,\nand the movement will assume vast proportions. And what glory awaits those who fight unselfishly for the cause! Therefore I believe that a wondrous generation of Jews will spring\ninto existence. The Maccabeans will rise again. Let me repeat once more my opening words: The Jews who wish for a\nState will have it. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil, and die peacefully\nin our own homes. The world will be freed by our liberty, enriched by our wealth,\nmagnified by our greatness. And whatever we attempt there to accomplish for our own welfare, will\nreact powerfully and beneficially for the good of humanity.  \nBIBLIOGRAPHY \nTHE CONGRESS ADDRESSES. New York, Federation of American Zionists,\n  1917. 40p. EXCERPTS FROM HERZL'S DIARIES. New York, Scopus pub. co. 1941. 122p. GESAMELTE SHRIFTEN (In Yiddish). New York, Literarishe Verlag, 1920. 2\n  vols. GESAMMELTE ZIONISTISCHE WERKE. 3rd ed. Berlin. Juedisher Verlag (1934)\n  5 vols. Contents: vol. I Zionistische shriften; vol. 2, 3, 4,\n  Taegebuecher, vol. 5 Das neue Ghetto; Altneuland, Aus dem Nachlass. DAS JUDENSTAAT; Versuch einer modernen L\u00f6sung der Judenfrage. Neue\n  Auflage mit einem Vorwort von Otto Warburg. Berlin, Juedischer\n  Verlag, 1918. 88p. Various editions. OLD-NEW LAND tr. by Lotta Levensohn with a preface by Stephen S. Wise.\n  New York, Bloch pub. co. 1941. 296p. THE TRAGEDY OF JEWISH IMMIGRATION. 2nd ed. New York, Zionist\n  organization of America, 1920. 47p. \nABOUT THEODOR HERZL Bein, Alex. Theodore Herzl tr. by Maurice Samuel. Phil. Jewish. pub.\n  society, 1940. 545p. Brainin, Ruben. A Life of Herzl. Vol. I, New York, 1919. (Hebrew) Buber, Martin and Weltsch, Robert. Theodor Herzl and we. New York,\n  Hitachduth of America, 1929. 28p. De Haas, Jacob. Theodor Herzl, a biographical study. New York, 1927. 2\n  vols. Hoffman, Martha. The young Herzl (In Hebrew) Jerusalem, 1941. 103p. Neumann, Emanuel. The birth of statesmanship; a story of Theodor\n  Herzl's life, New York, Youth dept. Jewish National Fund of America.\n  48p. New Palestine. Theodor Herzl, a memorial; ed. by Meyer W. Weisgal. New\n  York, 1929. 320p. Zionist Organization Executive. Theodor Herzl, ein Gedenkbuch. Berlin,\n  Juedischer Verlag, 1929. 79p. \nCHRONOLOGY 1860-May 2        Wolf Theodor (Benjamin Zev) Herzl is born in\n                  the Tabakgasse, Budapest, the son of Jakob and\n                  Jeanette (Diamant) Herzl. 1885-May 27       First feuilleton published in Wiener Allgemeine\n                  Zeitung. 1894-Oct. 21      Arrest of Dreyfus. Oct. 21-Nov. 8    Writes Das Neue Ghetto. This is an attempt to\n                  express himself on the Jewish question. 1895-June 2       Interviews Baron de Hirsch, submits plan for\n                  political action. Not favorably received.\n                  Immediately after this interview, which he later\n                  designates the beginning of his Zionist work, Herzl\n                  begins his Diaries. June-July         Composes first draft of Der Judenstaat. November 17       Explains idea of Jewish State to Dr. Nordau in\n                  Paris. Meets with instant understanding. Nordau\n                  gives Herzl introduction to Zangwill and London\n                  Maccabean Club. November 21       London. First meeting with Zangwill. 1895-Nov. 24      London. First address before Maccabean Club. 1896-Feb. 14      Der Judenstaat published in Vienna. May               Herzl recognized as leader by Zionist students of\n                  Vienna. July 13           London. Proclaimed leader of Jewry at meeting\n                  of Whitechapel Jews. Conflict with Chovevei Zion. July 18           Paris. Meeting with Baron Edmond Rothschild,\n                  who considers plan impracticable. November 8        Writes to British Zionists suggesting collection\n                  of a national fund. 1897-March 6      Zionsverein decides upon Zionist Congress in\n                  Munich on August 25. June 4            Publication of first issue of Die Welt. June 17           Zionist Actions Committee decides to hold Congress\n                  in Basle. Aug. 29-31        First Zionist Congress convenes in Basle. 1898-Aug. 28-30   Second Zionist Congress meets at Basle. October 26        Herzl party lands at Jaffa; tours Jewish colonies\n                  of Palestine. November 2        Formal audience with German Emperor at his\n                  headquarters outside Jerusalem. Problems of colonization\n                  discussed. 1899-March 20     Registration of name of Jewish Colonial Trust,\n                  Ltd. August 15-17      Third Zionist Congress held at Basle. 1900-Aug. 2       Fourth Zionist Congress opens in London. Herzl\n                  attends though he has barely recovered from serious\n                  illness. 1901-May 18       Formal audience with Abdul Hamid II at Yildiz\n                  Kiosk. Herzl is promised pro-Jewish proclamation.\n                  Receives Grand Cordon of the Order of Medjidje,\n                  First Class. Dec. 29-31        Fifth Congress convenes at Basle. Zangwill attacks\n                  ICA. Conflict between Herzl and Russian\n                  \"cultural\" Zionists. Discussion of National Fund. 1902-Feb. 17      Constantinople. Sultan offers Herzl charter, but\n                  not for Palestine. July 5            London. Conference with Lord Rothschild. July 7            London. Herzl appears before Royal Commission\n                  on Alien Immigration. October           Publication of Altneuland. 1903-Jan.         El Arish expedition organized. May 11            Permission for El Arish colonization refused by\n                  Egypt. August 16         Vilna. Great ovations. There receives letter from\n                  Sir Clement Hill of British Foreign Office offering\n                  Uganda. Aug. 22-28        Sixth Zionist Congress held at Basle. Uganda\n                  conflict. 1904-May 16       Last entry in Diaries--letter to Schiff. July 3            Death of Theodor Herzl.  \n       *       *       *       *       *     +-----------------------------------------------------------+\n    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |\n    |                                                           |\n    | Page 14: Duhring replaced with D\u00fchring                    |\n    | Page 73: exaggerted replaced with exaggerated             |\n    | Page 48: Maccabbeans replaced with Maccabeans             |\n    |                                                           |\n    +-----------------------------------------------------------+        *       *       *       *       *   End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Jewish State, by Theodor Herzl", "source": "narrative_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Summarize the discussion on TORRENT schedule and intermediate categorization", "What did Grad F say about his proposal?", "What did Grad F think about intermediate categories?", "Summarize the discussion on mean subtraction in SRI", "What did the professor think about echoes and reverberation?", "What did PhD C think about the signal to noise ratio?", "Summarize the meeting"], "outputs": ["The professor told the team that the TORRENT chip schedule kept getting pushed. Then, Grad F talked about his proposal, in which he was done with the section on intermediate categories. Including features from intermediate categories was a potential way of reducing error.", "Grad F explained that he was focusing on writing his proposal for his qualification exams, which was on the 25th of July. He had to write a paper and pass it around before that date.", "Grad F informed the team that he was building a system that classified intermediate categories with multi-band techniques. Then, to reduce error for phoneme recognition, the intermediate categories could be added to improve performance. The method could be replicated for large vocabulary tasks like switchboard.", "The team got an improvement on the SRI system for TI- digits and Meeting Recorder digits but near mic performance worsened. The team explored the reasons for this difference. The professor suggested getting rid of low energy sections. The team also discussed how more nuanced normalization approaches could improve task performance.", "The professor thought it was possible to reduce the effects of reverberation by removing the low-energy segments. He thought a VAD-like approach would work. This would make it so that the model was more likely to keep an echo than throw out speech.", "PhD C was skeptical of why the signal was louder after processing. PhD C suggested that the system is not too dependent on the signal level, agreeing with the professor that improvement in the model was more likely dependent on the ratio.", "The meeting began with a discussion on the TORRENT project completion being pushed for two years. Grad F then introduced intermediate categorization, which was his topic for his qualification exams. The team then discussed mean subtraction from SRI. Using it had led to an improvement in Meeting Recorder digits though near mic performance worsened. The professor points to pre-echoes as the culprit. The team continued to study differences between SRI and Aurora. The team thought it would be interesting to do the Aurora tests with the SRI system instead of the HTK. The team was also exploring the Wiener filter and VTS. The professor did not seem too excited about the VTS."], "gpt4_outputs": ["The discussion on TORRENT schedule mainly revolved around how the project was consistently two months away from completion for two years. The participants also discussed intermediate categorization in the context of Grad F's proposal, where he mentioned classifying intermediate categories as a middle step.\n", "Grad F mentioned that he had been working on writing his proposal and had just finished a section about intermediate categories. He hoped to complete a full rough draft by Monday and submit it to Morgan. The proposal is for his quals, which are scheduled to take place on July 25th.\n", "Grad F thought that instead of coming up with a complete set of intermediate features right away, he would start with a reasonable set, such as regular phonetic features, and build a system that classifies these using multi-band techniques. He would then analyze the errors produced and modify the intermediate categories accordingly in an iterative process.\n", "The discussion on mean subtraction in SRI focused on the improvement in word error rate when using the TI-digits dataset and testing on Meeting Recorder digits. They observed an improvement in far-mike data but a worsening in near-mike performance. They also discussed the possible reasons for this, such as channel adaptation, finer-grained acoustic models, and the presence of artifacts in the re-synthesized audio.\n", "The professor thought that echoes and reverberation could cause problems in speech recognition, particularly in low-energy parts of the speech where reverberation is most audible.\n", "PhD C believed that the signal-to-noise ratio is important in speech recognition, and that simply making the signal louder without improving the signal-to-noise ratio wouldn't be beneficial.\n", "The meeting involved discussing various research projects and experiments related to speech recognition, specifically focusing on techniques such as TORRENT chip, Aurora, VAD, VTS, and Wiener filters. They discussed potential improvements to these techniques, as well as the challenges faced in obtaining better results. The participants also discussed the importance of signal-to-noise ratio, echoes, and reverberation in speech recognition.\n"], "claude_outputs": ["Prof B mentioned that for two years during the TORRENT chip project, they were two months away from being done. However, this was only \"believable schedules\" and not actually achieved.", "Grad F said that he has been working on writing his proposal. He finished a section discussing the intermediate categories he wants to classify. He hopes to complete a full rough draft by Monday to give to Morgan. His quals are on July 25. The proposal will be distributed to evaluators beforehand and he will give a short presentation and then answer questions.", "Grad F initially thought he had to come up with a complete set of intermediate features and categories from the beginning. But now he thinks he will start with a reasonable set of regular phonetic features and build a system to classify the intermediate categories. He will then look at the errors produced and add or remove intermediate categories to improve performance.", "There was a discussion about why Grad E's signal was louder after mean subtraction processing. There were various theories but no definite conclusion. Prof B pointed out that only changing the signal level shouldn't actually affect things. They discussed the possibility of mean subtraction improving the signal-to-noise ratio instead of just the raw level.", "The professor thought that removing echoes and low energy portions of the speech could help solve the problem. He suggested that PhD E could implement a VAD-like system to remove low energy sections that may contain echoes, as the echoes seem to be causing some of the issues.", "PhD C was initially confused as to why the mean subtraction processing made the signal louder after being re-synthesized. The professor explained that it likely meant the processing improved the signal to noise ratio, not just the absolute signal level. PhD C agreed with this explanation.", "The main topics discussed in the meeting were:\n\nPhD E's experiments with mean subtraction and why it made the signal louder\nPhD C's experiments with combining energy-based VAD with MLP-based VAD and potential issues with the approach\nPhD G's work on Wiener filtering and noise compensation techniques\nPhD D's work on applying VTS in the cepstral domain versus the filter bank domain\nThe potential for combining different noise reduction and compensation methods once they have a better understanding of each technique's characteristics\nThe professors and PhD students discussed the experiments, potential issues, and ways to improve the various approaches. They provided feedback and suggestions to help each other refine and improve the noise compensation and other signal processing techniques."], "input": "Professor B: I think for two years we were two months , uh , away from being done .\nPhD A: And what was that , Morgan ? What project ?\nProfessor B: Uh , the , uh , TORRENT chip .\nPhD A: Oh .\nProfessor B: Yeah . We were two {disfmarker} we were {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: Uh , uh , we went through it {disfmarker} Jim and I went through old emails at one point and {disfmarker} and for two years there was this thing saying , yeah , we 're {disfmarker} we 're two months away from being done . It was very {disfmarker} very believable schedules , too . I mean , we went through and {disfmarker} with the schedules {disfmarker} and we {disfmarker}\nPhD A: It was true for two years .\nProfessor B: Yeah . Oh , yeah . It was very true .\nPhD A: So , should we just do the same kind of deal where we {pause} go around and do , uh , status report {pause} kind of things ? OK . And I guess when Sunil gets here he can do his last or something . So .\nProfessor B: Yeah . So we {pause} probably should wait for him to come before we do his .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD A: OK . That 's a good idea .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nGrad F: OK .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD A: Any objection ? Do y OK , M\nProfessor B: All in favor\nPhD A: Do you want to start , Morgan ? Do you have anything , or {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor B: Uh , I don't do anything . I {disfmarker} No , I mean , I {disfmarker} I 'm involved in discussions with {disfmarker} with people about what they 're doing , but I think they 're {disfmarker} since they 're here , they can talk about it themselves .\nGrad F: OK . So should I go so that , uh ,\nPhD A: Yeah . Why don't you go ahead , Barry ?\nGrad F: you 're gonna talk about Aurora stuff , per se ?\nPhD A: OK .\nGrad F: OK . Um . Well , this past week I 've just been , uh , getting down and dirty into writing my {disfmarker} my proposal . So , um {disfmarker} Mmm . I just finished a section on , uh {disfmarker} on talking about these intermediate categories that I want to classify , um , as a {disfmarker} as a middle step . And , um , I hope to {disfmarker} hope to get this , um {disfmarker} a full rough draft done by , uh , Monday so I can give it to Morgan .\nPhD A: When is your , uh , meeting ?\nGrad F: Um , my meeting\nPhD A: Yeah .\nGrad F: with , uh {disfmarker} ? Oh , oh , you mean the {disfmarker} the quals .\nPhD A: The quals . Yeah .\nGrad F: Uh , the quals are happening in July twenty - fifth .\nPhD A: Oh . Soon .\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD A: Uh - huh .\nGrad F: D - Day .\nPhD A: Yeah .\nGrad F: Uh - huh .\nPhD A: So , is the idea you 're going to do this paper and then you pass it out to everybody ahead of time and {disfmarker} ?\nGrad F: Right , right . So , y you write up a proposal , and give it to people ahead of time , and you have a short presentation . And , um , and then , um {disfmarker} then everybody asks you questions .\nPhD A: Hmm .\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD A: I remember now .\nGrad F: Yep . So , um .\nPhD A: Have you d ? I was just gonna ask , do you want to say any {disfmarker} a little bit about it ,\nGrad F: Y s\nPhD A: or {disfmarker} ? Mmm .\nGrad F: Oh . Uh , a little bit about {disfmarker} ?\nPhD A: Wh - what you 're {disfmarker} what you 're gonna {disfmarker} You said {disfmarker} you were talking about the , uh , particular features that you were looking at ,\nGrad F: Oh , the {disfmarker} the {disfmarker}\nPhD A: or {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Right . Well , I was , um , I think one of the perplexing problems is , um , for a while I was thinking that I had to come up with a complete set of intermediate features {disfmarker} in intermediate categories to {disfmarker} to classify right away . But what I 'm thinking now is , I would start with {disfmarker} with a reasonable set . Something {disfmarker} something like , um , um {disfmarker} like , uh , re regular phonetic features , just to {disfmarker} just to start off that way . And do some phone recognition . Um , build a system that , uh , classifies these , um {disfmarker} these feat uh , these intermediate categories using , uh , multi - band techniques . Combine them and do phon phoneme recognition . Look at {disfmarker} then I would look at the errors produced in the phoneme recognition and say , OK , well , I could probably reduce the errors if I included this extra feature or this extra intermediate category . That would {disfmarker} that would reduce certain confusions over other confusions . And then {disfmarker} and then {vocalsound} reiterate . Um , build the intermediate classifiers . Uh , do phoneme recognition . Look at the errors . And then postulate new {disfmarker} or remove , um , intermediate categories . And then do it again .\nPhD A: So you 're gonna use TIMIT ?\nGrad F: Um , for that {disfmarker} for that part of the {disfmarker} the process , yeah , I would use TIMIT .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: And , um , then {disfmarker} after {disfmarker} after , uh , um , doing TIMIT . Right ?\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: Um , that 's {disfmarker} {vocalsound} that 's , um {disfmarker} that 's just the ph the phone recognition task .\nPhD A: Yeah .\nGrad F: Uh , I wanted to take a look at , um , things that I could model within word . So , I would mov I would then shift the focus to , um , something like Schw - Switchboard , uh , where I 'd {disfmarker} I would be able to , um {disfmarker} to model , um , intermediate categories that span across phonemes ,\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: not just within the phonemes , themselves , um , and then do the same process there , um , on {disfmarker} on a large vocabulary task like Switchboard . Uh , and for that {disfmarker} for that part I would {disfmarker} I 'd use the SRI recognizer since it 's already set up for {disfmarker} for Switchboard . And I 'd run some {disfmarker} some sort of tandem - style processing with , uh , my intermediate classifiers .\nPhD A: Oh . So that 's why you were interested in getting your own features into the SRI files .\nGrad F: Yeah . That 's why I {disfmarker} I was asking about that .\nPhD A: Yeah . Yeah .\nGrad F: Yeah . Um , and I guess that 's {disfmarker} that 's it . Any {disfmarker} any questions ?\nPhD A: Sounds good . So you just have a few more weeks , huh ?\nGrad F: Um , yeah . A few more .\nPhD A: It 's about a month from now ?\nGrad F: It 's a {disfmarker} it 's a month and {disfmarker} and a week .\nPhD A: Yeah .\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD A: So , uh , you want to go next , Dave ? And we 'll do {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Oh . OK , sure . So , um , last week I finally got results from the SRI system about this mean subtraction approach . And , um , we {disfmarker} we got an improvement , uh , in word error rate , training on the TI - digits data set and testing on Meeting Recorder digits of , um , {vocalsound} six percent to four point five percent , um , on the n on the far - mike data using PZM F , but , um , the near - mike performance worsened , um , from one point two percent to two point four percent . And , um , wh why would that be , um , {vocalsound} considering that we actually got an improvement in near - mike performance using HTK ? And so , uh , with some input from , uh , Andreas , I have a theory in two parts . Um , first of all HTK {disfmarker} sorry , SR - the SRI system is doing channel adaptation , and so HTK wasn't . Um , so this , um {disfmarker} This mean subtraction approach will do a kind of channel {pause} normalization and so that might have given the HTK use of it a boost that wouldn't have been applied in the SRI case . And also , um , the {disfmarker} Andreas pointed out the SRI system is using more parameters . It 's got finer - grained acoustic models . So those finer - grained acoustic models could be more sensitive to the artifacts {pause} in the re - synthesized audio . Um . And me and Barry were listening to the re - synthesized audio and sometimes it seems like you get of a bit of an echo of speech in the background . And so that seems like it could be difficult for training , cuz you could have {pause} different phones {pause} lined up with a different foreground phone , {vocalsound} um , {vocalsound} depending on {pause} the timing of the echo . So , um , I 'm gonna try training on a larger data set , and then , eh , the system will have seen more examples o of these artifacts and hopefully will be more robust to them . So I 'm planning to use the Macrophone set of , um , read speech , and , um {disfmarker} Hmm .\nProfessor B: I had another thought just now , which is , uh , remember we were talking before about {disfmarker} we were talking in our meeting about , uh , this stuff that {disfmarker} some of the other stuff that Avendano did , where they were , um , getting rid of low - energy {pause} sections ? Um , uh , if you {disfmarker} if you did a high - pass filtering , as Hirsch did in {pause} late eighties to reduce some of the effects of reverberation , uh , uh , Avendano and Hermansky were arguing that , uh , perhaps one of the reasons for that working was ma may not have even been the filtering so much but the fact that when you filter a {disfmarker} an all - positive power spectrum you get some negative values , and you gotta figure out what to do with them if you 're gonna continue treating this as a power spectrum . So , what {disfmarker} what Hirsch did was , uh , set them to zero {disfmarker} set the negative values to zero . So if you imagine a {disfmarker} a waveform that 's all positive , which is the time trajectory of energy , um , and , uh , shifting it downwards , and then getting rid of the negative parts , that 's essentially throwing away the low - energy things . And it 's the low - energy parts of the speech where the reverberation is most audible . You know , you have the reverberation from higher - energy things showing up in {disfmarker} So in this case you have some artificially imposed {pause} reverberation - like thing . I mean , you 're getting rid of some of the other effects of reverberation , but because you have these non - causal windows , you 're getting these funny things coming in , uh , at n And , um , what if you did {disfmarker} ? I mean , there 's nothing to say that the {disfmarker} the processing for this re - synthesis has to be restricted to trying to get it back to the original , according to some equation . I mean , you also could , uh , just try to make it nicer .\nGrad E: Uh - huh .\nProfessor B: And one of the things you could do is , you could do some sort of VAD - like thing\nGrad E: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: and you actually could take very low - energy sections and set them to some {disfmarker} some , uh , very low or {disfmarker} or near zero {pause} value . I mean , uh , I 'm just saying if in fact it turns out that {disfmarker} that these echoes that you 're hearing are , uh {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Uh - huh .\nProfessor B: or pre - echoes , whichever they are {disfmarker} are {disfmarker} are , uh , part of what 's causing the problem , you actually could get rid of them .\nGrad E: Uh - huh .\nProfessor B: Be pretty simple . I mean , you do it in a pretty conservative way\nGrad E: OK .\nProfessor B: so that if you made a mistake you were more likely to {pause} keep in an echo than to throw out speech .\nGrad E: Hmm .\nPhD G: Um , what is the reverberation time {pause} like {pause} there ?\nGrad E: In thi in this room ? Uh {disfmarker}\nPhD G: On , uh , the {disfmarker} the one what {disfmarker} the s in the speech that you are {disfmarker} you are using like ?\nGrad E: Y Yeah . I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I don't know .\nProfessor B: So , it 's this room .\nPhD G: It 's , uh {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: It 's {disfmarker} it 's this room .\nPhD G: Oh , this room ?\nProfessor B: So {disfmarker}\nPhD G: OK .\nProfessor B: so it 's {disfmarker} these are just microphone {disfmarker} this micro close microphone and a distant microphone , he 's doing these different tests on .\nGrad F: Oh .\nProfessor B: Uh , we should do a measurement in here . I g think we never have . I think it 's {disfmarker} I would guess , uh , point seven , point eight seconds f uh , R T\nGrad F: Hmm !\nProfessor B: something like that ? But it 's {disfmarker} you know , it 's this room .\nPhD G: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So .\nPhD G: OK . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: Uh . But the other thing is , he 's putting in {disfmarker} w I was using the word \" reverberation \" in two ways . He 's also putting in , uh , a {disfmarker} he 's taking out some reverberation , but he 's putting in something , because he has {pause} averages over multiple windows stretching out to twelve seconds , which are then being subtracted from the speech . And since , you know , what you subtract , sometimes you 'll be {disfmarker} you 'll be subtracting from some larger number and sometimes you won't . And {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So you can end up with some components in it that are affected by things that are seconds away . Uh , and if it 's a low {pause} energy compo portion , you might actually hear some {pause} funny things .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nGrad E: O o one thing , um , I noticed is that , um , the mean subtraction seems to make the PZM signals louder after they 've been re - synthesized . So I was wondering , is it possible that one reason it helped with the Aurora baseline system is {pause} just as a kind of gain control ? Cuz some of the PZM signals sound pretty quiet if you don't amplify them .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . I don't see why {disfmarker} why your signal is louder after processing , because yo\nGrad E: Yeah . I don't know why - y , uh , either .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: I don't think just multiplying the signal by two would have any effect .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nGrad E: Oh , OK .\nProfessor B: Yeah . I mean , I think if you really have louder signals , what you mean is that you have {pause} better signal - to - noise ratio .\nPhD C: Well , well {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: So if what you 're doing is improving the signal - to - noise ratio , then it would be better .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: But just it being bigger if {disfmarker} with the same signal - to - noise ratio {disfmarker}\nGrad E: It w i i it wouldn't affect things .\nProfessor B: No .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nGrad E: OK .\nPhD C: Well , the system is {disfmarker} use {pause} the absolute energy , so it 's a little bit dependent on {disfmarker} on the {pause} signal level . But , not so much , I guess .\nProfessor B: Well , yeah . But it 's trained and tested on the same thing .\nPhD C: Mmm .\nProfessor B: So if the {disfmarker} if the {disfmarker} if you change {vocalsound} in both training and test , the absolute level by a factor of two , it will n have no effect .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . Yeah .\nPhD A: Did you add {pause} this data to the training set , for the Aurora ? Or you just tested on this ?\nGrad E: Uh {disfmarker} Um . Did I w what ?\nPhD A: Well , Morgan was just saying that , uh , as long as you do it in both training and testing , it shouldn't have any effect .\nGrad E: Sorry ? Yeah .\nPhD A: But I {disfmarker} I was {pause} sort of under the impression that you just tested with this data .\nGrad E: I {disfmarker} I b\nPhD A: You didn't {pause} train it also .\nGrad E: I {disfmarker} Right . I trained on clean TI - digits . I {disfmarker} I did the mean subtraction on clean TI - digits . But I didn't {disfmarker} I 'm not sure if it made the clean ti TI - digits any louder .\nProfessor B: Oh , I see .\nGrad E: I only remember noticing it made the , um , PZM signal louder .\nProfessor B: OK . Well , I don't understand then . Yeah .\nGrad E: Huh . I don't know . If it 's {disfmarker} if it 's {disfmarker} like , if it 's trying to find a {disfmarker} a reverberation filter , it could be that this reverberation filter is making things quieter . And then if you take it out {disfmarker} that taking it out makes things louder . I mean .\nProfessor B: Uh , no . I mean , {vocalsound} uh , there 's {disfmarker} there 's nothing inherent about removing {disfmarker} if you 're really removing ,\nGrad E: Nuh - huh .\nProfessor B: uh , r uh , then I don't {pause} see how that would make it louder .\nGrad E: The mean . OK . Yeah , I see .\nProfessor B: So it might be just some {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Yeah . OK . So I should maybe listen to that stuff again .\nProfessor B: Yeah . It might just be some artifact of the processing that {disfmarker} that , uh , if you 're {disfmarker} Uh , yeah . I don't know .\nGrad E: Oh . OK .\nPhD A: I wonder if there could be something like , uh {disfmarker} for s for the PZM data ,\nPhD C: Eh\nPhD A: uh , you know , if occasionally , uh , somebody hits the table or something , you could get a spike . Uh . I 'm just wondering if there 's something about the , um {disfmarker} you know , doing the mean normalization where , uh , it {disfmarker} it could cause {pause} you to have better signal - to - noise ratio . Um .\nProfessor B: Well , you know , there is this . Wait a minute . It {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} i maybe {disfmarker} i If , um {disfmarker} Subtracting the {disfmarker} the mean log spectrum is {disfmarker} is {disfmarker} is like dividing by the spectrum . So , depending what you divide by , if your {disfmarker} if s your estimate is off and sometimes you 're {disfmarker} you 're {disfmarker} you 're getting a small number , you could make it bigger .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nGrad E: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So , it 's {disfmarker} it 's just a {disfmarker} a question of {disfmarker} there 's {disfmarker} It {disfmarker} it could be that there 's some normalization that 's missing , or something to make it {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: Uh , y you 'd think it shouldn't be larger , but maybe in practice it is . That 's something to think about .\nGrad E: Hmm .\nProfessor B: I don't know .\nPhD C: I had a question about the system {disfmarker} the SRI system . So , {vocalsound} you trained it on TI - digits ? But except this , it 's exactly the same system as the one that was tested before and that was trained on {pause} Macrophone . Right ? So on TI - digits it gives you one point two percent error rate and on Macrophone it 's still O point eight . Uh , but is it {pause} exactly the same system ?\nGrad E: Uh . I think so .\nPhD C: Hmm .\nGrad E: If you 're talking about the Macrophone results that Andreas had about , um , a week and a half ago , I think it 's the same system .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . So you use VTL - uh , vocal tract length normalization and , um , like MLLR transformations also ,\nGrad E: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: and {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: I 'm sorry , was his point eight percent , er , a {disfmarker} a result on testing on Macrophone or {disfmarker} or training ?\nPhD C: all that stuff .\nGrad E: That 's {disfmarker}\nPhD C: It was {pause} training on Macrophone and testing {disfmarker} yeah , on {disfmarker} on meeting digits .\nProfessor B: Oh . So that was done already . So we were {disfmarker} Uh , and it 's point eight ? OK .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: OK .\nPhD C: Yeah . I {disfmarker} I 've just been text {comment} testing the new {pause} Aurora front - end with {disfmarker} well , Aurora system actually {disfmarker} so front - end and HTK , um , acoustic models on the meeting digits and it 's a little bit better than the previous system . We have {disfmarker} I have two point seven percent error rate . And before with the system that was proposed , it 's what ? It was three point nine . So .\nProfessor B: Oh , that 's a lot better .\nPhD C: We are getting better .\nProfessor B: So , what {disfmarker} w ?\nPhD C: And {disfmarker}\nPhD G: With the {disfmarker} with the HTK back - end ? What we have for Aurora ?\nPhD C: Yeah . Two point seven .\nPhD G: I know in the meeting , like {disfmarker}\nPhD C: On the meeting we have two point seven .\nPhD G: Right . Oh .\nGrad F: That 's with the new IIR filters ?\nPhD C: Uh . Yeah , yeah . So , yeah ,\nGrad F: OK .\nPhD C: we have {pause} the new LDA filters , and {disfmarker} I think , maybe {disfmarker} I didn't look , but one thing that makes a difference is this DC offset compensation . Uh , eh {disfmarker} Do y did you have a look at {disfmarker} at the meet uh , meeting digits , if they have a DC component , or {disfmarker} ?\nGrad E: I {disfmarker} I didn't . No .\nPhD C: Oh .\nProfessor B: Hmm .\nPhD G: No . The DC component could be negligible . I mean , if you are {pause} recording it through a mike . I mean , any {disfmarker} all of the mikes have the DC removal {disfmarker} some capacitor sitting right in {pause} that bias it .\nProfessor B: Yeah . But this {disfmarker} uh , uh , uh , no . Because , uh , there 's a sample and hold in the A - toD. And these period these typically do have a DC offset .\nPhD G: Oh , OK .\nProfessor B: And {disfmarker} and they can be surprisingly large . It depends on the electronics .\nPhD G: Oh , so it is the digital {disfmarker} OK . It 's the A - toD that introduces the DC in .\nProfessor B: Yeah . The microphone isn't gonna pass any DC .\nPhD G: Yeah . Yeah . Yeah .\nProfessor B: But {disfmarker} but ,\nPhD G: OK .\nProfessor B: typi you know , unless {disfmarker} Actually , there are {pause} instrumentation mikes that {disfmarker} that do pass {disfmarker} go down to DC . But {disfmarker} but ,\nPhD G: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: uh , no , it 's the electronics . And they {disfmarker} and {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: then there 's amplification afterwards . And you can get , I think it was {disfmarker} I think it was in the {pause} Wall Street Journal data that {disfmarker} that {disfmarker} I can't remember , one of the DARPA things . There was this big DC - DC offset\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: we didn't {disfmarker} we didn't know about for a while , while we were {pause} messing with it . And we were getting these terrible results . And then we were talking to somebody and they said , \" Oh , yeah . Didn't you know ? Everybody knows that . There 's all this DC offset in th \" So , yes . You can have DC offset in the data .\nPhD G: Oh , OK .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD G: OK .\nPhD A: So was that {disfmarker} was that everything , Dave ?\nGrad E: Oh . And I also , um , did some experiments {pause} about normalizing the phase . Um . So I c I came up with a web page that people can take a look at . And , um , the interesting thing that I tried was , um , Adam and Morgan had this idea , um , since my original attempts to , um , take the mean of the phase spectra over time and normalize using that , by subtracting that off , didn't work . Um , so , well , that we thought that might be due to , um , problems with , um , the arithmetic of phases . They {disfmarker} they add in this modulo two pi way and , um , there 's reason to believe that that approach of taking the mean of the phase spectrum wasn't really {pause} mathematically correct . So , {vocalsound} what I did instead is I {vocalsound} took the mean of the FFT spectrum without taking the log or anything , and then I took the phase of that , and I subtracted that phase {pause} off to normalize . But that , um , didn't work either .\nProfessor B: See , we have a different interpretation of this . He says it doesn't work . I said , I think it works magnificently , but just not for the task we intended . Uh , it gets rid of the speech .\nPhD A: What does it leave ?\nGrad F: Uh , gets rid of the speech .\nProfessor B: Uh , it leaves {disfmarker} you know , it leaves the junk . I mean , I {disfmarker} I think it 's {disfmarker} it 's tremendous .\nGrad F: Oh , wow .\nProfessor B: You see , all he has to do is go back and reverse what he did before , and he 's really got something .\nPhD A: Well , could you take what was left over and then subtract that ?\nProfessor B: Ex - exactly . Yeah , you got it .\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nProfessor B: So , it 's {disfmarker} it 's a general rule .\nPhD G: Oh , it 's {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: Just listen very carefully to what I say and do the opposite . Including what I just said .\nGrad E: And , yeah , that 's everything .\nPhD A: All set ? Do you want to go , Stephane ?\nPhD C: Um . Yeah . Maybe , concerning these d still , these meeting digits . I 'm more interested in trying to figure out what 's still the difference between the SRI system and the Aurora system . And {disfmarker} Um . Yeah . So , I think I will maybe train , like , gender - dependent models , because {pause} this is also one big difference between {pause} the two systems . Um , the other differences were {pause} the fact that maybe the acoustic models of the SRI are more {disfmarker} SRI system are more complex . But , uh , Chuck , you did some experiments with this and\nPhD A: It didn't seem to help in the HTK system .\nPhD C: it was hard t to {disfmarker} to have some exper some improvement with this . Um .\nProfessor B: Well , it sounds like they also have {disfmarker} he {disfmarker} he 's saying they have all these , uh , uh , different kinds of adaptation .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: You know , they have channel adaptation . They have speaker adaptation .\nPhD C: Yeah . Right .\nPhD A: Well , there 's also the normalization .\nProfessor B: Yeah . Yeah .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD A: Like they do , um {disfmarker} I 'm not sure how they would do it when they 're working with the digits ,\nPhD C: The vocal tr\nPhD A: but , like , in the Switchboard data , there 's , um {disfmarker} conversation - side normalization for the {pause} non - C - zero components ,\nPhD C: Yeah . Yeah . This is another difference . Their normalization works like on {disfmarker} on the utterance levels .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: But we have to do it {disfmarker} We have a system that does it on - line .\nPhD A: Right .\nPhD C: So , it might be {disfmarker} it might be better with {disfmarker} it might be worse if the {pause} channel is constant ,\nPhD A: Yeah .\nPhD C: or {disfmarker} Nnn .\nPhD G: And the acoustic models are like - k triphone models or {disfmarker} or is it the whole word ?\nPhD C: SRI {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker} it 's tr\nGrad F: SRI .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD C: Yeah . I guess it 's triphones .\nPhD G: It 's triphone .\nProfessor B: I think it 's probably more than that .\nPhD C: Huh .\nProfessor B: I mean , so they {disfmarker} they have {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I thin think they use these , uh , uh , genone things . So there 's {disfmarker} there 's these kind of , uh , uh , pooled models and {disfmarker} and they can go out to all sorts of dependencies .\nPhD G: Oh . It 's like the tied state .\nProfessor B: So .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: They have tied states and I think {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I don't real I 'm talk I 'm just guessing here . But I think {disfmarker} I think they {disfmarker} they don't just have triphones .\nPhD G: OK .\nProfessor B: I think they have a range of {disfmarker} of , uh , dependencies .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: Hmm .\nPhD C: And {disfmarker} Yeah . Well . Um . Well , the first thing I {disfmarker} that I want to do is just maybe these gender things . Uh . And maybe see with {pause} Andreas if {disfmarker} Well , I {disfmarker} I don't know {pause} how much it helps , what 's the model .\nPhD A: So {disfmarker} so the n stuff on the numbers you got , the two point seven , is that using the same training data that the SRI system used and got one point two ?\nPhD C: That 's right . So it 's the clean {pause} TI - digits training set .\nPhD A: So exact same training data ?\nPhD C: Right .\nPhD A: OK .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . I guess you used the clean training set .\nGrad E: Right .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nGrad E: For {disfmarker} with the SRI system {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Well .\nGrad E: You know , the {disfmarker} the Aurora baseline is set up with these , um {disfmarker} {vocalsound} this version of the clean training set that 's been filtered with this G - seven - one - two filter , and , um , to train the SRI system on digits S - Andreas used the original TI - digits , um , under U doctor - speech data TI - digits , which don't have this filter . But I don't think there 's any other difference .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm . Yeah .\nProfessor B: So is that {disfmarker} ? Uh , are {disfmarker} are these results comparable ? So you {disfmarker} you were getting with the , uh , Aurora baseline something like two point four percent {pause} on clean TI - digits , when , uh , training the SRI system with clean TR digits {disfmarker} {comment} TI - digits . Right ? And {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Um . Uh - huh .\nProfessor B: Yeah . And , so , is your two point seven comparable , where you 're , uh , uh , using , uh , the submitted system ?\nPhD C: Yeah . I think so .\nProfessor B: OK .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: So it 's {pause} about the same ,\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: maybe a little worse .\nGrad E: W w it was one {disfmarker} one point two\nPhD C: Ye\nGrad E: with the SRI system ,\nProfessor B: I 'm sorry .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nGrad E: I {disfmarker}\nPhD C: The complete SRI system is one point two .\nProfessor B: You {disfmarker} you were HTK .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: Right ? OK . That 's right . So {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: OK , so {pause} the comparable number then , uh {pause} for what you were talking about then , since it was HTK , would be the {pause} um , two point f\nPhD C: It was four point something . Right ? The HTK system with , uh , b\nGrad E: D d\nProfessor B: Oh , right , right , right , right .\nPhD C: MFCC features {disfmarker}\nGrad E: Do you mean the b ? The baseline Aurora - two system , trained on TI - digits , tested on Meeting Recorder near , I think we saw in it today , and it was about six point six percent .\nProfessor B: Right . Right , right , right .\nPhD C: Oh .\nProfessor B: OK . Alright . So {disfmarker} He 's doing some {pause} different things .\nPhD C: So {disfmarker} Yeah . The only difference is the features , right now , between this and {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: Yes . OK , good . So they are helping .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: That 's good to hear . Yeah .\nPhD C: They are helping . Yeah . Um . Yeah . And another thing I {disfmarker} I maybe would like to do is to {pause} just test the SRI system that 's trained on Macrophone {disfmarker} test it on , uh , the noisy TI - digits ,\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD C: cuz I 'm still wondering {pause} where this {pause} improvement comes from . When you train on Macrophone , it seems better on meeting digits . But I wonder if it 's just because maybe {pause} Macrophone is acoustically closer to the meeting digits than {disfmarker} than TI - digit is , which is {disfmarker} TI - digits are very {pause} clean recorded digits\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: and {disfmarker}\nPhD A: You know , it would also be interesting to see , uh {disfmarker} to do the regular Aurora test ,\nPhD C: Uh , f s\nPhD A: um , but use the SRI system instead of HTK .\nPhD C: That 's {disfmarker} Yeah . That 's what {pause} I wanted , just , uh {disfmarker} Yeah . So , just using the SRI system , test it on {disfmarker} and test it on {pause} Aurora TI - digits . Right .\nPhD A: Why not the full Aurora , uh , test ?\nPhD C: Um . Yeah . There is this problem of multilinguality yet .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: So we don't {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: You 'd have to train the SRI system with {disfmarker} with all the different languages .\nPhD C: i i\nPhD A: Right .\nPhD C: We would have to train on {disfmarker}\nPhD A: Yeah . That 's what I mean .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nPhD A: So , like , comple\nProfessor B: It 'd be a {pause} lot of work . That 's the only thing .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nPhD A: Mmm .\nPhD C: It 's {disfmarker}\nPhD A: Well , I mean ,\nPhD C: Mmm .\nPhD A: uh , uh , I guess the work would be into getting the {disfmarker} the files in the right formats , or something . Right ? I mean {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD A: Because when you train up the Aurora system , you 're , uh {disfmarker} you 're also training on all the data .\nPhD C: That 's right .\nPhD A: I mean , it 's {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Yeah . Yeah . I see . Oh , so , OK . Right . I see what you mean .\nProfessor B: That 's true , but I think that also when we 've had these meetings week after week , oftentimes people have not done the full arrange of things\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: because {disfmarker} on {disfmarker} on whatever it is they 're trying , because it 's a lot of work , even just with the HTK .\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So , it 's {disfmarker} it 's a good idea , but it seems like {pause} it makes sense to do some pruning\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: first with a {disfmarker} a test or two that makes sense for you ,\nPhD A: Yeah .\nProfessor B: and then {pause} take the likely candidates and go further .\nPhD A: Yeah .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . Yeah . But , just testing on TI - digits would already give us some information {pause} about what 's going on . And {disfmarker} mm - hmm . Uh , yeah . OK . Uh , the next thing is this {disfmarker} this VAD problem that , um , um {disfmarker} So , I 'm just talking about the {disfmarker} the curves that I {disfmarker} I sent {disfmarker} {vocalsound} I sent you {disfmarker} so , whi that shows that {vocalsound} when the SNR decrease , {vocalsound} uh , the current {pause} VAD approach doesn't drop much frames {pause} for some particular noises , uh , which might be then noises that are closer to speech , uh , acoustically .\nProfessor B: I i Just to clarify something for me . I They were supp Supposedly , in the next evaluation , they 're going to be supplying us with boundaries .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So does any of this matter ? I mean , other than our interest in it . Uh {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Uh {disfmarker} Well . First of all , the boundaries might be , uh {disfmarker} like we would have t two hundred milliseconds or {disfmarker} before and after speech . Uh . So removing more than that might still make {pause} a difference {pause} in the results .\nProfessor B: Do we {disfmarker} ? I mean , is there some reason that we think that 's the case ?\nPhD C: And {disfmarker} No . Because we don't {disfmarker} didn't looked {pause} that much at that .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD C: But , {vocalsound} still , I think it 's an interesting problem .\nProfessor B: Oh , yeah .\nPhD C: And {disfmarker} Um . Yeah .\nProfessor B: But maybe we 'll get some insight on that when {disfmarker} when , uh , the gang gets back from Crete . Because {pause} there 's lots of interesting problems , of course .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: And then the thing is if {disfmarker} if they really are going to have some means of giving us {pause} fairly tight , uh , boundaries , then that won't be so much the issue .\nPhD C: Yeah , yeah . Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: Um But {vocalsound} I don't know .\nPhD G: Because w we were wondering whether that {pause} VAD is going to be , like , a realistic one or is it going to be some manual segmentation . And then , like , if {disfmarker} if that VAD is going to be a realistic one , then we can actually use their markers to shift the point around , I mean , the way we want\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: to find a {disfmarker} I mean , rather than keeping the twenty frames , we can actually move the marker to a point which we find more {pause} suitable for us .\nProfessor B: Right .\nPhD G: But if that is going to be something like a manual , uh , segmenter , then we can't {pause} use that information anymore ,\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: because that 's not going to be the one that is used in the final evaluation .\nProfessor B: Right .\nPhD G: So . We don't know what is the type of {pause} {vocalsound} {pause} VAD which they 're going to provide .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD C: Yeah . And actually there 's {disfmarker} Yeah . There 's an {disfmarker} uh , I think it 's still for {disfmarker} even for the evaluation , uh , it might still be interesting to {vocalsound} work on this because {pause} the boundaries apparently that they would provide is just , {vocalsound} um , starting of speech and end of speech {pause} uh , at the utterance level . And {disfmarker} Um .\nPhD G: With some {disfmarker} some gap .\nPhD C: So {disfmarker}\nPhD G: I mean , with some pauses in the center , provided they meet that {disfmarker} whatever the hang - over time which they are talking .\nPhD C: Yeah . But when you have like , uh , five or six frames , both {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Yeah . Then the they will just fill {disfmarker} fill it up .\nPhD C: it {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} with {disfmarker}\nPhD G: I mean , th {disfmarker} Yeah .\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: So if you could get at some of that , uh {disfmarker}\nPhD C: So {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: although that 'd be hard .\nPhD C: Yeah . It might be useful for , like , noise estimation , and a lot of other {pause} things that we want to work on .\nProfessor B: But {disfmarker} but {disfmarker} Yeah .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nProfessor B: Right . OK .\nPhD C: But {disfmarker} Mmm . Yeah . So I did {disfmarker} I just {pause} started to test {pause} putting together two VAD which was {disfmarker} was not much work actually . Um , I im re - implemented a VAD that 's very close to the , {vocalsound} um , energy - based VAD {vocalsound} that , uh , the other Aurora guys use . Um . So , which is just putting a threshold on {pause} the noise energy ,\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: and , detect detecting the first {pause} group of four frames {pause} that have a energy that 's above this threshold , and , uh , from this point , uh , tagging the frames there as speech . So it removes {vocalsound} the first silent portion {disfmarker} portion of each utterance . And it really removes it , um , still o on the noises where {pause} our MLP VAD doesn't {pause} work a lot .\nProfessor B: Mmm .\nPhD C: Uh ,\nProfessor B: Cuz I would have thought that having some kind of spectral {pause} information ,\nPhD C: and {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: uh {disfmarker} uh , you know , in the old days people would use energy and zero crossings , for instance {disfmarker} uh , would give you some {pause} better performance . Right ? Cuz you might have low - energy fricatives or {disfmarker} or , uh {pause} stop consonants , or something like that .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: Uh .\nPhD C: Yeah . So , your point is {disfmarker} will be to u use whatever {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: Oh , that if you d if you use purely energy and don't look at anything spectral , then you don't have a good way of distinguishing between low - energy speech components and {pause} nonspeech . And , um ,\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: just as a gross generalization , most nonsp many nonspeech noises have a low - pass kind of characteristic , some sort of slope . And {disfmarker} and most , um , low - energy speech components that are unvoiced have a {disfmarker} a high - pass kind of characteristic {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: an upward slope . So having some kind of a {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: uh , you know , at the beginning of a {disfmarker} of a {disfmarker} of an S sound for instance , just starting in , it might be pretty low - energy ,\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: but it will tend to have this high - frequency component . Whereas , {vocalsound} a {disfmarker} a lot of rumble , and background noises , and so forth will be predominantly low - frequency . Uh , you know , by itself it 's not enough to tell you , but it plus energy is sort of {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Yeah .\nProfessor B: it plus energy plus timing information is sort of {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: I mean , if you look up in Rabiner and Schafer from like twenty - five years ago or something , that 's sort of {pause} what they were using then .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: So it 's {disfmarker} it 's not a {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: Hmm .\nPhD C: So , yeah . It {disfmarker} it might be that what I did is {disfmarker} so , removes like {vocalsound} low , um , {vocalsound} uh {disfmarker} low - energy , uh , speech frames . Because {pause} the way I do it is I just {disfmarker} I just combine the two decisions {disfmarker} so , the one from the MLP and the one from the energy - based {disfmarker} with the {disfmarker} with the and {pause} operator . So , I only {pause} keep the frames where the two agree {pause} that it 's speech . So if the energy - based dropped {disfmarker} dropped low - energy speech , mmm , they {disfmarker} they are {disfmarker} they are lost . Mmm .\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: But s still , the way it 's done right now it {disfmarker} it helps on {disfmarker} on the noises where {disfmarker} it seems to help on the noises where {vocalsound} our VAD was not very {pause} good .\nProfessor B: Well , I guess {disfmarker} I mean , one could imagine combining them in different ways . But {disfmarker} but , I guess what you 're saying is that the {disfmarker} the MLP - based one has the spectral information . So .\nPhD C: Yeah . But {disfmarker} Yeah . But the way it 's combined wi is maybe done {disfmarker} Well , yeah .\nProfessor B: Well , you can imagine {disfmarker}\nPhD C: The way I use a an a \" AND \" operator is {disfmarker} So , it {disfmarker} I , uh {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: Is {disfmarker} ?\nPhD C: The frames that are dropped by the energy - based system are {disfmarker} are , uh , dropped , even if the , um , MLP decides to keep them .\nProfessor B: Right . Right . And that might not be optimal ,\nPhD C: But , yeah .\nProfessor B: but {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD A: No\nProfessor B: but {disfmarker} I mean , I guess in principle what you 'd want to do is have a {disfmarker} {vocalsound} uh , a probability estimated by each one and {disfmarker} and put them together .\nPhD C: Yeah . Mmm . M Yeah .\nPhD A: Something that {disfmarker} that I 've used in the past is , um {disfmarker} when just looking at the energy , is to look at the derivative . And you {pause} make your decision when the derivative is increasing for {pause} so many frames . Then you say that 's beginning of speech .\nPhD C: Uh - huh .\nPhD A: But , I 'm {disfmarker} I 'm trying to remember if that requires that you keep some amount of speech in a buffer . I guess it depends on how you do it . But {pause} I mean , that 's {disfmarker} that 's been a useful thing .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: Yeah . Well , every everywhere has a delay associated with it . I mean , you still have to k always keep a buffer ,\nPhD A: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: then only make a decision because {pause} you still need to smooth the {pause} decision further .\nPhD A: Right . Right .\nPhD G: So that 's always there .\nPhD A: Yeah . OK .\nPhD C: Well , actually if I don't {disfmarker} maybe don't want to work too much of {disfmarker} on it right now . I just wanted to {disfmarker} to see if it 's {disfmarker} {vocalsound} what I observed was the re was caused by this {disfmarker} this VAD problem .\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: And it seems to be the case . Um . Uh , the second thing is the {disfmarker} this spectral subtraction . Um . Um , which I 've just started yesterday to launch a bunch of , uh , {nonvocalsound} twenty - five experiments , uh , with different , uh , values for the parameters that are used . So , it 's the Makhoul - type spectral subtraction which use {pause} an over - estimation factor . So , we substr I subtract more , {vocalsound} {vocalsound} um , {nonvocalsound} {vocalsound} noise than the noise spectra that {pause} is estimated {pause} on the noise portion of the s uh , the utterances . So I tried several , uh , over - estimation factors . And after subtraction , I also add {pause} a constant noise , and I also try different , uh , {vocalsound} noise , uh , values and we 'll see what happen .\nProfessor B: Hmm . OK .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm . But st still when we look at the , um {disfmarker} Well , it depends on the parameters that you use , but for moderate over - estimation factors and moderate noise level that you add , you st have a lot of musical noise . Um . On the other hand , when you {pause} subtract more and when you add more noise , you get rid of this musical noise but {pause} maybe you distort a lot of speech . So . Well . Mmm . Well , it {disfmarker} until now , it doesn't seem to help . But We 'll see . So the next thing , maybe I {disfmarker} what I will {pause} try to {disfmarker} to do is just {pause} to try to smooth mmm , {vocalsound} the , um {disfmarker} to smooth the d the result of the subtraction , to get rid of the musical noise , using some kind of filter , or {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Can smooth the SNR estimate , also .\nPhD C: Yeah . Right . Mmm .\nPhD G: Your filter is a function of SNR . Hmm ?\nPhD C: Yeah . So , to get something that 's {disfmarker} would be closer to {pause} what you tried to do with Wiener filtering .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD C: And {disfmarker} Mm - hmm . Yeah .\nPhD G: Actually , it 's , uh {disfmarker} Uh . I don't know , it 's {disfmarker} go ahead .\nPhD C: It {disfmarker}\nPhD G: And it 's {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Maybe you can {disfmarker}\nPhD G: go ahead .\nPhD C: I think it 's {disfmarker} That 's it for me .\nPhD G: OK . So , uh {disfmarker} u th I 've been playing with this Wiener filter , like . And there are {disfmarker} there were some bugs in the program , so I was p initially trying to clear them up . Because one of the bug was {disfmarker} I was assuming that always the VAD {disfmarker} uh , the initial frames were silence . It always started in the silence state , but it wasn't for some utterances . So the {disfmarker} it wasn't estimating the noise initially , and then it never estimated , because I assumed that it was always silence .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . So this is on SpeechDat - Car Italian ?\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD C: So , in some cases s there are also {disfmarker}\nPhD G: SpeechDat - Car Italian . Yeah . There 're a few cases , actually , which I found later , that there are .\nPhD C: o Uh - huh .\nPhD G: So that was one of the {pause} bugs that was there in estimating the noise . And , uh , so once it was cleared , uh , I ran a few experiments with {pause} different ways of smoothing the estimated clean speech and how t estimated the noise and , eh , smoothing the SNR also . And so the {disfmarker} the trend seems to be like , {vocalsound} uh , smoothing the {pause} current estimate of the clean speech for deriving the SNR , which is like {pause} deriving the Wiener filter , seems to be helping . Then updating it quite fast using a very small time constant . So we 'll have , like , a few results where the {disfmarker} estimating the {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} More smoothing is helping . But still it 's like {disfmarker} it 's still comparable to the baseline . I haven't got anything beyond the baseline . But that 's , like , not using any Wiener filter . And , uh , so I 'm {disfmarker} I 'm trying a few more experiments with different time constants for smoothing the noise spectrum , and smoothing the clean speech , and smoothing SNR . So there are three time constants that I have . So , I 'm just playing around . So , one is fixed in the line , like {pause} Smoothing the clean speech is {disfmarker} is helping , so I 'm not going to change it that much . But , the way I 'm estimating the noise and the way I 'm estimating the SNR , I 'm just trying {disfmarker} trying a little bit . So , that h And the other thing is , like , putting a floor on the , uh , SNR , because that {disfmarker} if some {disfmarker} In some cases the clean speech is , like {disfmarker} when it 's estimated , it goes to very low values , so the SNR is , like , very low . And so that actually creates a lot of variance in the low - energy region of the speech . So , I 'm thinking of , like , putting a floor also for the SNR so that it doesn't {pause} vary a lot in the low - energy regions . And , uh . So . The results are , like {disfmarker} So far I 've been testing only with the {pause} baseline , which is {disfmarker} which doesn't have any LDA filtering and on - line normalization . I just want to separate the {disfmarker} the contributions out . So it 's just VAD , plus the Wiener filter , plus the baseline system , which is , uh , just the spectral {disfmarker} I mean , the mel sp mel , uh , frequency coefficients . Um . And the other thing that I tried was {disfmarker} but I just {vocalsound} took of those , uh , {pause} {vocalsound} Carlos filters , which Hynek had , to see whether it really h helps or not . I mean , it was just a {disfmarker} a run to see whether it really degrades or it helps . And it 's {disfmarker} it seems to be like it 's not {vocalsound} hurting a lot by just blindly picking up one filter which is nothing but a {pause} four hertz {disfmarker} a band - pass m m filter on the cubic root of the power spectrum . So , that was the filter that Hy - uh , Carlos had . And so {disfmarker} Yeah . Just {disfmarker} just to see whether it really {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker} is it worth trying or not . So , it doesn't seems to be degrading a lot on that . So there must be something that I can {disfmarker} that can be done with that type of noise compensation also , which {disfmarker} {vocalsound} I guess I would ask Carlos about that . I mean , how {disfmarker} how he derived those filters and {disfmarker} and where d if he has any filters which are derived on OGI stories , added with some type of noise which {disfmarker} what we are using currently , or something like that . So maybe I 'll {disfmarker}\nProfessor B: This is cubic root of power spectra ?\nPhD G: Yeah . Cubic root of power spectrum .\nProfessor B: So , if you have this band - pass filter , you probably get n you get negative values . Right ?\nPhD G: Yeah . And I 'm , like , floating it to z zeros right now .\nProfessor B: OK .\nPhD G: So it has , like {disfmarker} the spectrogram has , like {disfmarker} Uh , it actually , uh , enhances the onset and offset of {disfmarker} I mean , the {disfmarker} the begin and the end of the speech . So it 's {disfmarker} there seems to be , like , deep valleys in the begin and the end of , like , high - energy regions ,\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: because the filter has , like , a sort of Mexican - hat type structure .\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: So , those are the regions where there are , like {disfmarker} when I look at the spectrogram , there are those deep valleys on the begin and the end of the speech . But the rest of it seems to be , like , pretty nice .\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: So . That 's {pause} something I observe using that filter . And {disfmarker} Yeah . There are a few {disfmarker} very {disfmarker} not a lot of {disfmarker} because the filter doesn't have a {disfmarker} really a deep negative portion , so that it 's not really creating a lot of negative values in the cubic root . So , I 'll {disfmarker} I 'll s may continue with that for some w I 'll {disfmarker} I 'll {disfmarker} Maybe I 'll ask Carlos a little more about how to play with those filters , and {disfmarker} but while {pause} making this Wiener filter better . So . Yeah . That {disfmarker} that 's it , Morgan .\nProfessor B: Uh , last week you were also talking about building up the subspace {pause} stuff ?\nPhD G: Yeah . I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I would actually m m didn't get enough time to work on the subspace last week . It was mostly about {pause} finding those bugs and\nProfessor B: OK .\nPhD G: th you know , things , and I didn't work much on that .\nPhD A: How about you , Carmen ?\nPhD D: Well , I am still working with , eh , VTS . And , one of the things that last week , eh , say here is that maybe the problem was with the diff because the signal have different level of energy .\nProfessor B: Hmm ?\nPhD D: And , maybe , talking with Stephane and with Sunil , we decide that maybe it was interesting to {disfmarker} to apply on - line normalization before applying VTS . But then {vocalsound} we decided that that 's {disfmarker} it doesn't work absolutely , because we modified also the noise . And {disfmarker} Well , thinking about that , we {disfmarker} we then {disfmarker} we decide that maybe is a good idea . We don't know . I don't hav I don't {disfmarker} this is {disfmarker} I didn't {pause} do the experiment yet {disfmarker} to apply VTS in cepstral domain .\nProfessor B: The other thing {pause} is {disfmarker} So {disfmarker} so , in {disfmarker} i i and {disfmarker} Not {disfmarker} and C - zero would be a different {disfmarker} So you could do a different normalization for C - zero than for other things anyway . I mean , the other thing I was gonna suggest is that you could have {pause} two kinds of normalization with {disfmarker} with , uh , different time constants . So , uh , you could do some normalization {vocalsound} s uh , before the VTS , and then do some other normalization after . I don't know . But {disfmarker} but C - zero certainly acts differently than the others do ,\nPhD D: Uh .\nProfessor B: so that 's {disfmarker}\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD D: Well , we s decide to m to {disfmarker} to obtain the new expression if we work in the cepstral domain . And {disfmarker} Well . I am working in that now ,\nProfessor B: Uh - huh .\nPhD D: but {vocalsound} I 'm not sure if that will be usefu useful . I don't know . It 's k it 's k It 's quite a lot {disfmarker} It 's a lot of work .\nProfessor B: Uh - huh .\nPhD D: Well , it 's not too much , but this {disfmarker} it 's work .\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD D: And I want to know if {disfmarker} if we have some {pause} feeling that {pause} the result {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I would like to know if {disfmarker} I don't have any feeling if this will work better than apply VTS aft in cepstral domain will work better than apply in m mel {disfmarker} in filter bank domain . I r I 'm not sure . I don't {disfmarker} I don't know absolutely nothing .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: Yeah . Well , you 're {disfmarker} I think you 're the first one here to work with VTS , so , uh , maybe we could call someone else up who has , ask them their opinion . Uh ,\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: I don't {disfmarker} I don't have a good feeling for it . Um .\nPhD G: Pratibha .\nPhD C: Actually , the VTS that you tested before was in the log domain and so {pause} the codebook is e e kind of dependent on the {pause} level of the speech signal .\nPhD D: Yeah ?\nPhD C: And {disfmarker} So I expect it {disfmarker} If {disfmarker} if you have something that 's independent of this , I expect it to {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} to , uh , be a better model of speech .\nPhD D: To have better {disfmarker}\nPhD C: And . Well .\nProfessor B: You {disfmarker} you wouldn't even need to switch to cepstra . Right ? I mean , you can just sort of normalize the {disfmarker}\nPhD C: No . We could normali norm I mean , remove the median .\nProfessor B: Yeah . Yeah . And then you have {pause} one number which is very dependent on the level cuz it is the level ,\nPhD D: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: and the other which isn't .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm . Yeah . But here also we would have to be careful about removing the mean {pause} of speech and not of noise .\nPhD D: Ye\nPhD C: Because it 's like {pause} first doing general normalization\nPhD D: Yea\nPhD C: and then noise removal , which is {disfmarker}\nPhD D: Yeah . We {disfmarker} I was thinking to {disfmarker} to {disfmarker} to estimate the noise {pause} with the first frames and then apply the VAD ,\nProfessor B: Mm - hmm .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD D: before the on - line normalization .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD D: We {disfmarker} we see {disfmarker} Well , I am thinking {vocalsound} about that and working about that ,\nProfessor B: Yeah .\nPhD D: but I don't have result this week .\nProfessor B: Sure . I mean , one of the things we 've talked about {disfmarker} maybe it might be star time to start thinking about pretty soon , is as we look at the pros and cons of these different methods , how do they fit in with one another ? Because {pause} we 've talked about potentially doing some combination of a couple of them . Maybe {disfmarker} maybe pretty soon we 'll have some sense of what their {pause} characteristics are ,\nPhD D: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor B: so we can see what should be combined .\nPhD C: Mm - hmm .\nPhD A: Is that it ? OK ?\nProfessor B: OK . Why don't we read some digits ?\nPhD A: Yep . Want to go ahead , Morgan ?\nProfessor B: Sure .\nPhD A: Transcript L dash two one five .\nProfessor B: O K .", "source": "meeting_summ", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Summarize discussion on what to include in the meeting corpus and how to structure it", "Summarize discussion on issues with data storage", "What did the participants think about what constitutes a meeting?", "What did PhD I think about segmentation?", "What did the Professor think about storing data?", "What did the participants think about using CD's for backup?", "Summarize the meeting"], "outputs": ["The discussion centered on the extent to which the recordings should be segmented for the corpus and which recordings should be included in the corpus. The team expressed that it would be helpful to filter out breath and non-verbal sounds. It also expressed that for two person conversations and transcripts that do not follow their general meeting setup, it could create a different directory.", "The team felt that the current file system they were using was running out of space, specifically back-up capacity. They needed to figure out a way to back-up the data they were collecting. They decided that the tape system that ICSI has is pretty reliable. But they needed to discuss the matter with the system administrator.", "The participants were skeptical that a two person conversation in the hallway constituted a meeting for their purposes. They thought that it would be okay to include this kind of data in their corpus for future researchers, but they should separate it. The Professor has a strong opinion that these interactions were not actually meetings.", "PhD I thought that the team should re-evaluate recognition without cheating on the segmentation. PhD I explained to the team that they had so far been using a simplified version of the scoring and brought up that Thilo wanted to use recognizer alignments to train his speech detector. He was not sure how much hand labeling would be needed to generate data for the detector.", "The professor expressed that the team should not recycle backed up disk space and explained the rate at which they could acquire disks. He was surprised that burned CD's wear out after a year or two. He thought that putting the data on tape was a good idea.", "PhD I suggested putting the data on a CD-ROM but was informed that the data gets lost in a few years. PhD F expressed that it was generally a bad idea to have a copy on a medium that failed. Professionally pressed discs last longer, but they would be burning them in-house. The idea of re-burning the CD's each year was also not adopted.", "The participants discussed how meetings would be transcribed, what kind of information to include in their corpus as well as how to structure it, issues with storing data, and their model. They were particularly concerned with how IBM could assist with transcribing meetings and how they would manage large amounts of data if they include more information in their corpus, given that they were running low on storage. They decided that they could store the data on tapes for backup, and that they would wait and see how IBM transcribes their meetings. As for the modeling, PhD I reported several results and a few members of the team decided to further discuss progress in a smaller meeting later on."], "gpt4_outputs": ["The participants discussed including SmartKom data, which consisted of dialogues between a person and a computer, in the meeting corpus. They debated whether to consider it as part of the corpus or keep it separate since it is not a face-to-face interaction. They also discussed handling the data using the same tools and conventions but organizing it under a different directory and not labeling it as part of the meeting corpus.\n", "The participants discussed the issues with data storage, particularly with the backup system becoming saturated. They considered using non-backed-up disks and backing up the data manually on tapes. They also discussed the possibility of getting more disk space and upgrading the processors on their existing system.", "The participants agreed that a meeting should involve two or more people conversing with one another. They decided that the SmartKom data, which involved a person talking to a computer for travel information, should not be considered a meeting.", "Answer 4: PhD I discussed re-evaluating the recognition results using Thilo's segmenter, which works well without cheating on the segmentations. They also mentioned using the recognizer alignments to train Thilo's speech detector, which would reduce the need for hand labeling and generate more training data.", "The Professor thought that storing data on tapes is reliable and a good idea, but also mentioned the possibility of using non-backed-up disks for data storage.\n", "The participants thought that storing data on CDs is not reliable because they wear out over time, even just by sitting on a shelf. They discussed other options, such as using tapes or non-backed-up disks for data storage.\n", "The meeting involved discussing various topics, including the status of IBM transcription, the Meeting Recorder corpus, reorganization status, Absinthe (a multiprocessor UNIX/Linux system), and segmentation and recognition updates. They also discussed the handling and storage of data, particularly in relation to the use of CDs, tapes, and non-backed-up disks. The participants considered the potential effectiveness of automated methods for transcription and the use of IBM for transcribing digits. They also discussed the ongoing work on SRI recognition experiments and the upcoming DARPA demo.\n"], "claude_outputs": ["There was a discussion about whether to include recordings from a SmartKom experiment in the meeting corpus. The recordings involve people taking part in a travel task scenario with either a computer or a human wizard.\nSome participants argued the recordings should be included since they contain speech data that may be useful for acoustic modeling. Others argued they should not be considered \"meetings\" and should be kept separate.\nThe main debate was around whether to include the recordings in the same directory structure as the meeting corpus or keep them separate. Some favored including them in the same structure but marking them differently to indicate the different interaction type. Others felt they should be kept separate to avoid confusion.\nIn the end, most participants agreed the recordings should be stored separately but could still be included for some experiments at the discretion of individual researchers. The key point was that they did not fit the definition of \"meetings\" that had been described for the meeting corpus.", "There was an extensive discussion about data storage issues due to limited disk space and the backups system becoming saturated.\nParticipants debated using high-density tape drives, burning data to CDs or DVDs periodically, and archiving data to tape while storing it on non-backed up disks.\nUltimately, most participants agreed the best solution was to archive data to tape (which was already in place) while storing it on non-backed up disks. That would avoid burdening the backups system. The data could then be restored from tape as needed.", "There were differing views on what constitutes a \"meeting\" for the purpose of including data in the meeting corpus.\nSome participants argued that any interaction involving two or more people conversing should count as a meeting. However, others felt true meetings had a purpose or reason for the interaction and were more naturalistic.\nMost agreed that recordings like the SmartKom experiment were different enough in their purpose and scenario-based nature that they did not fit the definition of \"meetings\" that had been described for the meeting corpus.", "PhD I thought re-evaluating speech recognition results using the new automatic segmenter (instead of annotated segments) should be done to check the segmenter's performance.\nPhD I also mentioned that Thilo (another researcher) wanted to use recognizer alignments to train a speech detector, which would reduce the need for manually labeled training data for the speech detector.", "The Professor was generally in favor of storing as much data as possible as long as they had the disk space. He suggested storing the data on non-backed up drives and then archiving it to tape to avoid overloading the ICSI backup system. He and others agreed that using cheap, non-backed up disks and then archiving to tape was a good solution.", "Most participants were skeptical of using CDs for long-term data backup. Adam pointed out that CDs can fail within a couple of years, either from just sitting on a shelf or from being read and written to. Andreas questioned how CDs could fail from just sitting, and Adam explained that both writable CDs and rewritable CD-RWs do not last long, so they are not good for archiving irreplaceable data. Some participants mentioned that professionally pressed CDs would last longer, for decades, but that overall tape was a more reliable archive medium.", "The participants discussed the status of transcribing meeting recordings, both those done by Adam's transcribers and those sent to IBM.\nThey debated what to do with a large amount of digit readings that had been collected but only partially transcribed. Options included automating the process, having IBM transcribe them, or hiring transcribers.\nThere was a discussion about recordings being collected for the SmartKom project and whether to include them in the Meeting Recorder corpus. Some felt they should be included while others thought they were too different from true meetings.\nThe main discussion focused on data storage issues and the saturated ICSI backup system. Participants agreed that using cheap, non-backed up disks and archiving the data to tape once was a good solution to avoid overloading the backups.\nThere were also discussions about SRI recognition experiments and the Absinthe multiprocessor system.\nIn the end, the participants decided to do a \"unison digits\" exercise by all reading digit strings together."], "input": "Grad H: st\nGrad F: So we 're on .\nGrad H: Yeah . That 's better .\nGrad F: And , {comment} somewhere is my agenda . I think the most important thing is Morgan wanted to talk about , uh , the ARPA {pause} demo .\nProfessor D: Well , so , here 's the thing . Um , why don't we s again start off with {disfmarker} with , uh , Yeah , I 'll get it . I 'll get the door . Um , I think we want to start off with the agenda . And then , given that , uh , Liz and Andreas are gonna be {pause} ten , fifteen minutes late , we can try to figure out what we can do most effectively without them here . So {disfmarker} {vocalsound} So {disfmarker} so , one thing is , yeah , talk about demo ,\nGrad F: OK . So , uh {disfmarker} uh , IBM transcription status ,\nProfessor D: IBM transcription . Uh , what else ?\nGrad F: \nProfessor D:  What 's SmartKom ? SmartKom ?\nGrad F: Uh , we wanna talk about if w if we wanna add the data to the mar Meeting Recorder corpus .\nPhD E: The data . The data which we are collecting here .\nProfessor D: What {disfmarker} what {disfmarker} what are we collecting here ?\nPhD E: Data ?\nGrad F: So why don't we have that on the agenda and we 'll {disfmarker} we 'll get to it and talk about it ?\nPhD E: The SmartKom data ?\nProfessor D: Yeah , right .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nProfessor D: Uh , right . Uh .\nGrad F: Uh , reorganization status .\nProfessor D: Reorganization status .\nPostdoc A: Oh . Files and directories ?\nProfessor D: Files and directories .\nGrad F: Yep . Uh - huh . Absinthe , which is the multiprocessor UNIX {disfmarker} Linux . I think it was {pause} Andreas wanted to talk about segmentation and recognition , and update on SRI recognition experiments .\nProfessor D: Um {disfmarker}\nGrad F: And then if ti if there 's time I wanted to talk about digits , but it looked like we were pretty full , so I can wait till next week .\nProfessor D: Right . OK . Well , let 's see . I think the a certainly the segmentation and recognition we wanna maybe focus on when An - Andreas is here since that was particularly his thing .\nPhD E: And also the SmartKom thing should b\nProfessor D: SmartKom also , Andreas . Absinthe , I think also he has sort of been involved in a lot of those things .\nGrad F: At least ,\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: yeah , he 'll t he 'll probably be interested .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: But .\nProfessor D: Um So , I mean , I think they 'll be inter I 'll be interested in all this , but {disfmarker} but , uh , probably , if we had to pick something {pause} that we would talk on for ten minutes or so while they 're coming here . Or I guess it would be , you think , reorganization status , or {disfmarker} ?\nGrad F: Yeah . I mean , I think , Chuck was the one who added out the agenda item . I don't really have anything to say other than that we still haven't done it .\nPhD B: Well , I mean , I uh {disfmarker} {vocalsound} just basically that {disfmarker}\nGrad F: So .\nPhD B: maybe I said {disfmarker} maybe we said this before {disfmarker} just that we met and we talked about it and we sort of have a plan for getting things organized and {disfmarker}\nPostdoc A: And I {disfmarker} and I think a crucial part of that is the idea of {disfmarker} of not wanting to do it until right before the next level zero back - up so that there won't be huge number of {disfmarker} of added ,\nPhD B: Right .\nPostdoc A: uh {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Right .\nPhD B: That {disfmarker} that was basically it . Not {disfmarker} not much @ @ {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Although Dave basically said that if we wanna do it , just tell him and he 'll do a d level zero then .\nPostdoc A: Yeah . Uh - huh . Oh , excellent .\nGrad F: So .\nPostdoc A: Oh , good .\nPhD B: Oh , so maybe we should just go ahead and get everything ready , and {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Yep . So , I think we do need to talk a little bit about {disfmarker} Well , we don't need to do it during this meeting .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nGrad F: We have a little more to discuss . But , uh , we 're {disfmarker} we 're basically ready to do it . And , uh , I have some web pages on ts {comment} more of the background . So , naming conventions and things like that , that I 've been trying to keep actually up to date . So . And I 've been sharing them with U - d UW folks also .\nPostdoc A: I 'm sorry , you 've been what ? Showing them ?\nProfessor D: OK .\nPostdoc A: Sharing them .\nGrad F: Sharing them with the UW folks .\nPostdoc A: OK . OK .\nProfessor D: OK . Well , maybe uh , since that {disfmarker} that was a pretty short one , maybe we should talk about the IBM transcription status . Someone can {vocalsound} fill in Liz and Andreas later . Uh\nGrad F: OK . So , we , uh {disfmarker} we did another version of the beeps , where we separated each beeps with a spoken digit . Chuck came up here and recorded some di himself speaking some digits , and so it just goes \" beep one beep \" and then the phrase , and then \" beep two beep \" and then the phrase . And that seems pretty good . Um , I think they 'll have a b easier time keeping track of where they are in the file .\nPhD E: And we have done that on the {pause} automatic segmentations .\nGrad F: And we did it with the automatic segmentation , and I don't think {disfmarker} We ne we didn't look at it in detail . We just sent it to IBM . We {disfmarker} we sorta spot - checked it .\nPhD B: I listened to {pause} probably , uh , five or ten minutes of it from the beginning .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: Oh , really ?\nPhD B: Yeah .\nGrad F: OK .\nPhD B: And {disfmarker}\nGrad F: I sorta spot - checked here and there and it sounded pretty good . So . I think it 'll work .\nProfessor D: OK .\nGrad F: And , uh , we 'll just hafta see what we get back from them . Uh {disfmarker}\nPhD B: And the main thing will be if we can align what they give us with what we sent them . I mean , that 's the crucial part .\nGrad F: Right .\nPhD B: And I think we 'll be able to do that at {disfmarker} with this new beep format .\nGrad F: Yep . Well , I think it 's also they are much less likely to d have errors .\nPhD B: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: I mean , so the problem wi last time is that there were errors in the transcripts where they put beeps where there weren't any , or {disfmarker} and they put in extraneous beeps .\nPhD B: Right . Yeah .\nGrad F: And with the numbers there , it 's much less likely .\nPhD B: Yeah , one interesting note is {disfmarker} uh , or problem {disfmarker} I dunno if this was just because of how I play it back , I say , uh , SND - play and then the file , every once in a while , @ @ {comment} uh , like a beep sounds like it 's cut into two beeps .\nPhD E: Yeah . Into two pieces .\nPhD B: Yeah , and I {disfmarker} I dunno if that 's an , uh , artifact of playback {disfmarker}\nPhD E: Yeah . Yep .\nPhD B: bu uh , I don't think it 's probably in the original file . Um , but , uh {disfmarker}\nPhD E: I recognize that , too . Yeah .\nGrad F: Ha . That 's interesting . I didn't hear that .\nPhD B: Yeah . But with this new format , um , that hopefully they 're not hearing that , and if they are , it shouldn't throw them .\nPhD E: Yep .\nPhD B: So .\nGrad F: Well , maybe we better listen to it again , make sure , but , I mean , certainly the software shouldn't do that ,\nPhD B: Yeah . That 's what I thought .\nGrad F: so .\nPostdoc A: Mm - hmm .\nPhD B: I it 's probably just , you know , mmm , somehow the audio {pause} device gets hung for a second ,\nPhD E: Yeah . Some latency or something .\nGrad F: Hiccups .\nPhD E: Yeah ?\nPostdoc A: As long as they have one number , and they know that there 's only one beep maximum {vocalsound} that goes with that number .\nPhD B: or {disfmarker}\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD B: Yeah . Right .\nGrad F: Yeah . The only {disfmarker} the only part that might be confusing is when Chuck is reading digits .\nPhD B: Right .\nPhD E: Yep .\nPostdoc A: Well , you know , actually , are we having them {disfmarker}\nPhD B: So {vocalsound} th\nGrad F: \" Seven four eight beep seven beep {vocalsound} eight three two \" .\nPostdoc A: Yeah , but are we having them do digits ?\nGrad F: Yes . Because , uh , we don't {disfmarker} we didn't {disfmarker} In order to cut them out we 'd have to listen to it .\nPhD B: We {disfmarker} we didn't cut those out .\nPhD E: Yeah . They are not transcribed yet . So . Yeah .\nPostdoc A: OK .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: And we wanted to avoid doing that ,\nPostdoc A: OK .\nGrad F: so we {disfmarker} they are transcribing the digits .\nPostdoc A: OK .\nPhD B: We can {disfmarker} we can ignore it when we get it back ,\nGrad F: Although we could tell them {disfmarker} {comment} {vocalsound} we could tell them , if you hear someone reading a digits string just say \" bracket digit bracket \"\nPhD B: huh .\nGrad F: and don't bother actually computing the di writing down the digits .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: That 'd be great . That 'd be what I 'm having the transcribers here do , cuz it can be extracted later .\nGrad F: Yep . And then I wanted to talk about {disfmarker} but as I said I {disfmarker} we may not have time {disfmarker} what we should do about digits . We have a whole pile of digits that haven't been transcribed .\nProfessor D: Le - let 's talk about it , because that 's {disfmarker} that 's something that I {disfmarker} I know Andreas is less interested in than Liz is ,\nGrad F: OK .\nProfessor D: so , you know . It 's good {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Do we have anything else to say about transcription ? About IBM stuff ?\nPhD B: Uh , Brian {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I {vocalsound} sent bresset {disfmarker} {vocalsound} {vocalsound} sent Brian a message about {pause} {vocalsound} the meeting and I haven't heard back yet . So . I g hope he got it and hopefully he 's {disfmarker}\nGrad F: OK .\nPostdoc A: Hmm .\nPhD B: maybe he 's gone , I dunno . He didn't even reply to my message . So . I should probably ping him just to make sure that he got it . \nGrad F: Alright . So , we have a whole bunch of digits , if we wanna move on to digits .\nProfessor D: Actually , maybe I {disfmarker} One {disfmarker} one relate more related thing in transcription . So that 's the IBM stuff . We 've got that sorted out . Um , how 're we doing on the {disfmarker} on the rest of it ?\nPostdoc A: We 're doing well . I {disfmarker} I hire {disfmarker} I 've hired two extra people already , expect to hire two more .\nGrad F: Hmm .\nPostdoc A: And , um , {vocalsound} I 've prepared , um , uh , a set of five which I 'm {disfmarker} which I 'm calling set two , which are now being edited by my head transcriber , {vocalsound} in terms of spelling errors and all that . She 's also checking through and mar and {disfmarker} {vocalsound} and monitoring , um , the transcription of another transcriber . You know , I mean , she 's going through and doing these kinds of checks .\nProfessor D: Uh - huh .\nPostdoc A: And , I 've moved on now to what I 'm calling set three . I sort of thought if I do it in sets {disfmarker} groups of five , then I can have , like , sort of a {disfmarker} a parallel processing through {disfmarker} through the {disfmarker} the current .\nProfessor D: Uh - huh .\nPostdoc A: And {disfmarker} and you indicated to me that we have a g a goal now , {vocalsound} for the {disfmarker} for the , um , {nonvocalsound} {vocalsound} the , uh , DARPA demo , of twenty hours . So , I 'm gonna go up to twenty hours , be sure that everything gets processed , and released , and {disfmarker} {pause} {comment} and that 's {disfmarker} that 's what my goal is . Package of twenty hours right now , {vocalsound} and then once that 's done , move on to the next .\nProfessor D: Yeah , uh , so twenty hours . But I guess the other thing is that , um , that {disfmarker} that 's kinda twenty hours ASAP because the longer before the demo we actually have the twenty hours , the more time it 'll be for people to actually do cool things with it .\nPostdoc A: Mm - hmm . Good . I 'm {disfmarker} I 'm hiring people who , {vocalsound} uh , really are {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: So . OK .\nPostdoc A: They would like to do it full - time , several of these people . And {disfmarker} and I don't think it 's {vocalsound} possible , really , to do this full - time , but , that {disfmarker} what it shows is motivation to do as many hours as possible .\nProfessor D: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: It 'll keep your accuracy up . Yep .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: And they 're really excellent .\nProfessor D: Yeah . Well , that 's good .\nPostdoc A: Yeah . Got a good core group now .\nProfessor D: Yeah , I mean , I guess the {disfmarker} So the difference if {disfmarker} if , um , if the IBM stuff works out , the difference in the job would be that they p primarily would be checking through things that were already done by someone else ?\nPostdoc A: Again . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: Is that most of what it {disfmarker} ?\nGrad F: And correcting .\nProfessor D: I mean {disfmarker} Correcting .\nGrad F: Correcting . We 'll {disfmarker} we 'll expect that they 'll have to move some time bins and do some corrections .\nPostdoc A: And I {disfmarker} you know , I 've also d uh , discovered {disfmarker} So with the new transcriber I 'm {disfmarker} um {disfmarker} So {disfmarker} Uh , lemme say that my , uh {disfmarker} So , um {disfmarker} At present , um , the people have been doing these transcriptions a channel at a time . And , that sort of , um , {vocalsound} is useful , and t you know , and then once in a while they 'll have to refer to the other channels to clear something up . OK . Well , {vocalsound} I realize that , um , w i we we 're using the pre - segmented version , and , um , the pre - segmented version is extremely useful , and wouldn't it be , useful also to have the visual representation of those segments ? And so I 've {disfmarker} {pause} uh , {pause} I , uh , uh , I 've {comment} trained the new one {disfmarker} uh , the new the newest one , {vocalsound} to , um , {vocalsound} use the visual from the channel that is gonna be transcribed at any given time . And that 's just amazingly helpful . Because what happens then , is you scan across the signal and once in a while you 'll find a blip that didn't show up in the pre - segmentation .\nGrad F: Oh , right .\nPostdoc A: And that 'll be something like {disfmarker} {vocalsound} I it 's ver {disfmarker} it 's interesting .\nGrad F: I see what you mean . A backchannel , or {disfmarker}\nPostdoc A: Once in a while it 's a backchannel .\nPhD E: Yep .\nPostdoc A: Sometimes it seems to be , um , similar to the ones that are being picked up .\nGrad F: Mm - hmm .\nPostdoc A: And they 're rare events , but you can really go through a meeting very quickly . You just {disfmarker} you just , you know , yo you s you scroll from screen to screen , looking for blips . And , I think that we 're gonna end up with , uh {pause} better coverage of the backchannels ,\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: but at the same time we 're benefitting tremendously from the pre - segmentation because {vocalsound} there are huge places where there is just absolutely no activity at all . And , uh , the audio quality is so good {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Mm - hmm .\nPhD B: So they can {disfmarker} they can , um , scroll through that pretty quick ?\nPostdoc A: Yeah . Mm - hmm .\nPhD B: That 's great .\nPostdoc A: Yeah . So I think that that 's gonna , also {pause} eh , {comment} you know , speed the efficiency of this part of the process .\nProfessor D: Hmm . OK . Uh , yeah . So , uh {disfmarker} Yeah . So let 's talk about the digits , since they 're not here yet .\nGrad F: Uh , so , we have a whole bunch of digits that we 've read and we have the forms and so on , um , but only a small number of that ha well , not a small number {disfmarker} only a subset of that has been transcribed . And so we need to decide what we wanna do . And , uh , Liz and Andreas {disfmarker} actually they 're not here , but , they did say at one point that they thought they could do a pretty good job of just doing a forced alignment . And , again , I don't think we 'll be able to do with that alone , because , um , sometimes people correct themselves and things like that . But {disfmarker} so , I was just wondering what people thought about how automated can we make the process of finding where the people read the digits , doing a forced alignment , and doing the timing .\nProfessor D: Well , forced alignment would be one thing . What about just actually doing recognition ?\nGrad F: Well , we {disfmarker} we know what they read , because we have the forms .\nProfessor D: No , they make mistakes .\nGrad F: Right . But , the point is that we wanna get a set of clean digits .\nPhD B: You 're talking about as a pre - processing step .\nProfessor D: Right .\nPhD B: Right , Morgan ?\nProfessor D: Um {disfmarker}\nPhD B: Is that what you 're {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: Yeah , I 'm {disfmarker} I 'm not quite sure what I 'm talking about . I mean {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I mean , uh , we 're talking about digits now . And {disfmarker} and so , um , there 's a bunch of stuff that hasn't been marked yet . Uh . And , um , {vocalsound} there 's the issue that {disfmarker} that they {disfmarker} we know what {disfmarker} what was said , but do we ?\nGrad F: I mean , so one option i\nProfessor D: Because people make mistakes and stuff . I was just asking , just out of curiosity , if {disfmarker} if with , uh {disfmarker} uh , the SRI recognizer getting one percent word error , uh , would we {disfmarker} would we do {pause} better {disfmarker} ? So , if you do a forced alignment but the force but the {disfmarker} but the transcription you have is wrong because they actually made mistakes , uh , or {vocalsound} false starts , it 's {disfmarker} it 's much less c {vocalsound} it 's {pause} much less common than one percent ?\nGrad F: But that 's pretty uncommon . Um , if we could really get one percent on {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: We should be able to .\nGrad F: Well , I guess {disfmarker} yeah , I guess if we segmented it , we could get one percent on digits .\nProfessor D: Right ?\nPhD B: Yeah .\nProfessor D: Yeah . So that 's just my question . I 'm not saying it should be one way or the other , but it 's {disfmarker} If {disfmarker}\nGrad F: But , Well , there {disfmarker} there 're a couple different of doing it . We could use the tools I 've already developed and transcribe it . Hire some people , or use the transcribers to do it . We could let IBM transcribe it . You know , they 're doing it anyway , and unless we tell them different , they 're gonna transcribe it . Um , or we could try some automated methods .\nProfessor D: Well {disfmarker}\nGrad F: And my {disfmarker} my tendency right now is , well , if IBM comes back with this meeting and the transcript is good , just let them do it .\nProfessor D: Yeah , it 's {disfmarker} Y you raised a point , kind of , uh , euphemistically {disfmarker} but , I mean , m maybe it is a serious problem . Ho - what will they do when they go {disfmarker} hear \" beep {pause} seven {pause} beep {pause} seven three five two \" {disfmarker} I mean , {vocalsound} you think they 'll {disfmarker} we 'll get {disfmarker} ?\nGrad F: It 's pretty distinct .\nProfessor D: Yeah ?\nGrad F: The beeps are {pause} pre - recorded .\nPhD B: It 'll {comment} only be a problem for m for mine .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: Well it {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} well , it 'd be preceded by \" I 'm reading transcript so - and - so \" ?\nPhD B: Yeah .\nGrad F: Yes .\nPostdoc A: So , I think if they 're processing it at {disfmarker}\nGrad F: I mean , it 'll be {disfmarker} it will be in the midst of a digit string .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: So {disfmarker} I mean it {disfmarker} sure , there {disfmarker} there might be a place where it 's \" beep seven {pause} beep eight {pause} beep {pause} eight {pause} beep \" . But , you know , they {disfmarker} they 're {disfmarker} they 're gonna macros for inserting the beep marks . And so , I {disfmarker} I don't think it 'll be a problem . We 'll have to see , but I don't think it 's gonna be a problem .\nProfessor D: OK . Well , I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I dunno , I {disfmarker} I think that that 's {disfmarker} if they are in fact going to transcribe these things , uh , certainly any process that we 'd have to correct them , or whatever is {disfmarker} needs to be much less elaborate for digits than for other stuff .\nGrad F: Right .\nProfessor D: So , why not ? Sure . That was it ?\nGrad F: That was it . Just , what do we do with digits ?\nProfessor D: OK .\nGrad F: We have so many of them , {vocalsound} and it 'd be nice to {pause} actually do something with them .\nProfessor D: Well , we {disfmarker} we {disfmarker} we wanna have them . Yeah , I {disfmarker}\nPhD I: You mean there 're more than ten ?\nGrad F: Anything else ? Your mike is a little low there .\nProfessor D: I in Berkeley , yeah . So , {vocalsound} uh {pause} You {disfmarker} you have to go a little early , right ? At twenty {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Well , I can stay till about , uh , three forty .\nProfessor D: Alright . So le let 's make sure we do the ones that {disfmarker} that , uh , saved you .\nPhD I: Yeah . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: So there was some {disfmarker} Uh {pause} {vocalsound} In {disfmarker} in {disfmarker} Adam 's agenda list , he had something from you about segmentation this last recognition ?\nPhD I: Well , yeah . So this is just partly to inform everybody , um , and {disfmarker} and of course to get , um , input .\nGrad F: Oops .\nPhD I: Um , so , {nonvocalsound} uh , we had a discussion {disfmarker} Don and Liz and I had discussion last week about how to proceed with , uh , you know , with Don 's work ,\nPhD E: Ch\nPhD I: and {disfmarker} {vocalsound} and {disfmarker} and , uh , one of the obvious things that occur to us was that we 're {disfmarker} since we now have Thilo 's segmenter and it works , you know , amazingly well , {vocalsound} um , we should actually basically re - evaluate the recognition , um , results using {disfmarker} you know , without cheating on the segmentations .\nPhD E: So {disfmarker}\nPhD I: And , that should be fairly {disfmarker}\nPhD E: And how do we find the transcripts for those so that {disfmarker} ? Yeah . The references for {disfmarker} for {pause} those segments ?\nPhD I: Oh , OK . So , there 's actually {disfmarker}\nPhD E: It 's not that {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Why do you ask ?\nGrad F: I could {disfmarker}\nPhD I: No , actually , um , NIST has , um m a fairly sophisticated scoring program {vocalsound} that you can give a , um {disfmarker} {vocalsound} a time ,\nGrad F: Hand ones .\nPhD G: Well {disfmarker}\nPhD E: OK .\nPhD I: uh {disfmarker} You know , you basically just give two {pause} time - marked sequences of words , and it computes the um {disfmarker} the , {comment} uh {disfmarker} {comment} you know , the {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} th\nPhD B: It does all the work for you .\nPhD I: it does all the work for you .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nPhD E: OK .\nPhD I: So , it {disfmarker} we just {disfmarker} and we use that actually in Hub - five to do the scoring . Um . So what we 've been using so far was sort of a {pause} simplified version of the scoring . And we can {disfmarker} we can handle the {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} the type of problem we have here .\nPhD E: So , basically you give some time constraints for {disfmarker} for the references and for {disfmarker} for the hypothesis ,\nPhD I: So , we ha Yeah . Right .\nPhD E: and {disfmarker} Yeah , OK .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD I: Right .\nPhD G: Maybe the {pause} start of your speech and the end of it ,\nPhD I: So do\nPhD E: OK .\nPhD G: or stuff like that .\nPhD I: Right . It does time - constrained word - alignment .\nPhD E: OK .\nPhD I: So . So that should be possible . I mean that shouldn't be a problem . Uh , so that was the one thing , and the other was that , um {disfmarker} What was the other problem ? Oh ! That Thilo wanted to use {pause} the recognizer alignments to train up his , um , speech detector .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD I: Um , so that we could use , uh {disfmarker} you know there wouldn't be so much hand {vocalsound} labelling needed to , uh {disfmarker} to generate training data for {disfmarker} for the speech detector .\nPhD E: Yeah . I 'm just in progress of {disfmarker} of doing that . So .\nPhD I: And I think you 're in the process of doing that .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD I: So , you can {disfmarker} {comment} you can {disfmarker}\nPhD B: It 'll give you a lot more data , too . Won't it ?\nPhD E: Yeah . So , it 's basically {disfmarker} s I think , eight meetings or something which {disfmarker} which I 'm using , and , {vocalsound} it 's {disfmarker} {vocalsound} before it was twenty minutes of one meeting .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nPhD E: So {disfmarker} should {comment} be a little bit better .\nPhD I: Right .\nPhD B: Great .\nPhD I: That won't be perfect {disfmarker} the alignments aren't perfect ,\nPhD E: Yeah . But {disfmarker}\nPhD I: but , um , it 's probably still better to have all this extra data , than {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD E: Yeah . Yep .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nPhD E: We 'll see that .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nProfessor D: OK .\nPhD G: Actually , I had a question about that . If you find that you can {vocalsound} lower the false alarms that you get where there 's no speech , that would be useful {pause} for us to know . So , um {disfmarker}\nPhD E: There were the false alarms .\nPhD G: Yeah . So , {vocalsound} r right now you get f fal you know , false {disfmarker} false , uh , speech regions when it 's just like , um , {vocalsound} breath or something like that ,\nPhD E: OK . Yeah . Yep .\nPhD G: and I 'd be interested to know the {disfmarker} wha if you retrain um ,\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD G: do those actually go down or not ? Because {pause} of {disfmarker}\nPhD E: Yeah . I 'll {disfmarker} can make {disfmarker} an can , like , make a c comparison of {disfmarker} of the old system to the {disfmarker} to the new one , and {pause} then {disfmarker}\nPhD G: Yeah , just to see if by doing nothing in the modeling of {disfmarker} just having that training data wh what happens .\nPhD E: Yeah . Yeah . Yep .\nProfessor D: Um another one that we had on Adam 's agenda {pause} that definitely involved you was s something about SmartKom ?\nGrad F: Right . So , Rob Porzel {disfmarker} eh , Porzel ? and the , uh {disfmarker} Porzel {disfmarker} and the , uh , SmartKom group are collecting some dialogues .\nPhD I: Porzel . Porzel .\nGrad F: Basically they have one person sitting in here , looking at a picture , and a wizard sitting in another room somewhere . And , uh , they 're doing a travel task . And , uh , it involves starting {disfmarker} I believe starting with a {disfmarker} It 's {disfmarker} it 's always the wizard , but it starts where the wizard is pretending to be a computer and it goes through a , uh , {vocalsound} speech generation system .\nPhD E: Yeah . Actually , it 's changed to a synthesis for {disfmarker} for the first part now .\nGrad F: Synthesis system .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: Um , and then , it goes to a real wizard and they 're evaluating that . And they wanted to use this equipment , and so the w question came up , is {disfmarker} well , here 's some more data . Should this be part of the corpus or not ? And my attitude was yes , because there might be people who are using this corpus for {pause} acoustics , as opposed to just for language . Um , or also for dialogue of various sorts . Um , so it 's not a meeting . Right ? Because it 's two people and they 're not face to face .\nProfessor D: Wait a minute . So , I just wanted to understand it , cuz I {disfmarker} I 'm {disfmarker} uh , hadn't quite followed this process .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nProfessor D: Um . So , it 's wizard in the sen usual sense that the person who is asking the questions doesn't know that it 's , uh , a machi not a machine ?\nPhD I: Right .\nGrad F: At the beginning .\nPhD I: Actually {disfmarker} actually , w w the {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} We do this {disfmarker} I dunno who came up with it , but I think it 's a really clever idea . We simulate a computer breakdown halfway through the session , and so then after that , the person 's told that they 're now talking to a , uh {disfmarker} to a human .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD E: It 's a human operator .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: But of course they don't know that it 's the same person both times .\nPhD I: So , we {disfmarker} we collect {disfmarker} we collect both human - computer and human - human data , essentially , in the same session .\nProfessor D: You might wanna try collecting it the other way around sometime , saying that th the computer isn't up yet\nPostdoc A: Hmm .\nProfessor D: and then {disfmarker} so then you can separate it out whether it 's the beginning or end kind of effects .\nPhD I: That 's an idea .\nProfessor D: But , yeah .\nGrad F: Yep .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: That 's a good idea .\nGrad F: \" I have to go now . You can talk to the computer . \"\nPhD B: It 's a lot more believable , too ,\nGrad F: \" No ! \"\nPhD B: if you tell them that they 're {disfmarker} the computer part is running on a Windows machine . And the whole breakdown thing kinda makes sense .\nPhD I: O Just {disfmarker} just reboot it .\nGrad F: Abort {disfmarker} abort , retry , fail ?\nPhD G: So did they actually save the far - field {pause} data ?\nPhD E: Yes .\nGrad F: Well , this was {disfmarker} this was the question .\nPhD G: Cuz at first they weren't {disfmarker} they weren't sa\nPhD I: Yeah .\nGrad F: So {disfmarker} so they were saying they were not going to ,\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD G: OK .\nGrad F: and I said , \" well that 's silly , if {disfmarker} if we 're gonna try to do it for a corpus , there might be people who are interested in acoustics . \"\nPhD G: Yeah .\nPhD I: Wow .\nPhD E: No .\nPhD G: Or {disfmarker}\nPhD E: projector {comment} We were not saying we are not {pause} doing it .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nProfessor D: S\nPhD E: We wer we just wanted to do {disfmarker}\nPhD I: No , the {disfmarker} the question is do we save one or two far - field channels or all of them ?\nPhD G: Right .\nPhD E: Yeah . Yeah .\nGrad F: I {disfmarker} I see no reason not to do all of them .\nProfessor D: Um {disfmarker}\nGrad F: That {disfmarker} that if we have someone who is doing acoustic studies , uh , it 's nice to have the same for every recording .\nPhD G: Nnn . Yeah .\nPhD I: Hmm .\nProfessor D: So , what is the purpose of this recording ?\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: This is to get acoustic and language model training data for SmartKom. OK .\nPhD I: It 's to be traini to b training data and development data for the SmartKom {pause} system .\nPhD E: The English system ? Yeah .\nPhD I: Yeah . Right . Right .\nPhD B: Where does this {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: \nPhD G: Maybe we can have him vary the microphones , too ,\nProfessor D: Well ,\nPhD E: B\nPhD G: or they 're different s speakers .\nGrad F: Right . So {disfmarker} so {disfmarker} so for their usage , they don't need anything .\nProfessor D: so why not {disfmarker} ?\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: Right ?\nPhD E: But {disfmarker} but I 'm not sure about the legal aspect of {disfmarker} of that . Is {disfmarker} is there some contract with SmartKom or something about the data ?\nPhD I: Yeah .\nPhD E: What they {disfmarker} or , is {disfmarker} is that our data which we are collecting here ,\nProfessor D: We 've never signed anything that said that we couldn't use anything that we did .\nPhD E: or {disfmarker} ? OK . OK .\nPhD I: We weren't supposed to collect any data .\nPhD E: So . OK .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD E: So . Yeah , th th that was the question .\nPhD I: This was all {disfmarker}\nPhD E: If {disfmarker} if {disfmarker} ? Yeah .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nProfessor D: No that 's not a problem .\nPhD E: Basically .\nProfessor D: I {disfmarker} L look , it seems to me that if we 're doing it anyway and we 're doing it for these {disfmarker} these purposes that we have , {vocalsound} and we have these distant mikes , we definitely should re should save it all as long as we 've got disk space ,\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: and disk is pretty cheap .\nPhD I: OK .\nProfessor D: So should we save it ?\nGrad F: And then {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Now th Yeah . So we save it because it 's {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} it 's potentially useful . And now , what do we do with it is {disfmarker} is a s separate question .\nGrad F: Right .\nProfessor D: I mean , anybody who 's training something up could {vocalsound} choose to put it {disfmarker} eh , to u include this or not .\nPhD I: Right .\nProfessor D: I {disfmarker} I would not say it was part of the meetings corpus . It isn't . But it 's some other data we have , and if somebody doing experiment wants to train up including that then they can . Right ?\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: So it 's {disfmarker} It {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} I guess it {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} begs the question of what is the meeting corpus . So if , at UW they start recording two - person hallway conversations is that part of the meeting corpus ?\nProfessor D: I think it 's {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I think {disfmarker} I th think the idea of two or more people conversing with one another is key .\nGrad F: Well , this has two or more people conversing with each other .\nProfessor D: Nnn , well\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: Well this {disfmarker}\nGrad F: They 're just not face to face .\nPhD G: What if we just give it a {disfmarker} a name like we give these meetings a name ?\nProfessor D: No , it doesn't . Right ? It has {disfmarker}\nGrad F: I mean , that was my intention .\nPhD G: And then later on some people will consider it a meeting and some people won't ,\nPostdoc A: Well this {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: That was my intention . So {disfmarker} so {disfmarker} s {vocalsound} so part of the reason that I wanted to bring this up is , {vocalsound} do we wanna handle it as a special case or do we wanna fold it in ,\nPhD G: and {disfmarker} Just give it a {vocalsound} title .\nPostdoc A: Oh .\nProfessor D: I think it is a s\nGrad F: we give everyone who 's involved as their own user ID , give it session I Ds , {vocalsound} let all the tools that handle Meeting Recorder handle it , or do we wanna special case it ? And if we were gonna special case it , who 's gonna do that ?\nPhD E: So .\nPhD I: Well , it {disfmarker} it makes sense to handle it with the same infrastructure , since we don't want to duplicate things unnecessarily .\nPhD E: It {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} it {disfmarker}\nPostdoc A: I think {disfmarker}\nPhD I: But as far as distributing it , we shouldn't label it as part of this meeting corpus .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: We should let it be its own corp\nPostdoc A: Well it 's {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} well , because {disfmarker}\nGrad F: I don't see why not . It 's just a different topic .\nPostdoc A: I ha I have an extra point , which is the naturalness issue . Because we have , like , meetings that have a reason . That 's one of the reasons that we were talking about this . And {disfmarker} and those {disfmarker} and this sounds like it 's more of an experimental setup .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: It 's got a different purpose .\nProfessor D: It 's scenario - based , it 's {disfmarker} it 's human - computer interface {disfmarker} {vocalsound} it 's really pretty different .\nPostdoc A: Yeah .\nProfessor D: But I I {disfmarker} I have no problem with somebody folding it in for some experiment they 're gonna do , but I don't think i it {disfmarker} it doesn't match anything that we 've described about meetings .\nGrad F: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: Whereas everything that we talked about them doing at {disfmarker} at UW and so forth really does . They 're actually talking {disfmarker}\nGrad F: OK . So w so what does that mean for how we are gonna organize things ?\nPostdoc A: Hmm .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nProfessor D: You can {disfmarker} you can {disfmarker} Again , as {disfmarker} as I think Andreas was saying , {vocalsound} if you wanna use the same tools and the same conventions , there 's no problem with that . It 's just that it 's , you know , different directory , it 's called something different , it 's {disfmarker} you know . It is different . You can't just fold it in as if it 's {disfmarker} I mean , digits are different , too . Right ?\nGrad F: Yeah , but those are folded in ,\nPhD I: It might also be potentially confusing .\nGrad F: and it 's just {disfmarker} you just mark the transcripts differently . So {disfmarker} so one option is you fold it in ,\nPhD I: Right .\nGrad F: and just simply in the file you mark somewhere that this is this type of interaction , rather than another type of interaction .\nPhD I: Yeah , I th\nProfessor D: Well , I don I wouldn't call reading digits \" meetings \" . Right ? I mean , we {disfmarker} we {disfmarker} we were doing {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Well , but {disfmarker} but , {vocalsound} I put it under the same directory tree .\nProfessor D: Well {disfmarker}\nGrad F: You know , it 's in \" user doctor speech data MR \" .\nPhD G: Can we just have a directory called , like , \" other stuff \" ?\nGrad F: Other .\nPhD G: And {disfmarker} Well {disfmarker} or , I dunno .\nProfessor D: I mean , I don't care what directory tree you have it under .\nPhD G: And {disfmarker} {vocalsound} and just , um , store it there .\nProfessor D: Right ? I mean that 's just a {disfmarker}\nGrad F: OK . My preference is to have a single procedure so that I don't have to think too much about things .\nPhD I: Yes .\nPhD G: I mean {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: And , just have a marking .\nProfessor D: O - You {disfmarker} you can use whatever procedure you want that 's p convenient for you .\nGrad F: If we do it any other way that means that we need a separate procedure , and someone has to do that .\nProfessor D: All I 'm saying is that there 's no way that we 're gonna tell people that reading digits is meetings . And similarly we 're not gonna tell them that someone talking to a computer to get travel information is meetings .\nGrad F: Right .\nProfessor D: Those aren't meetings . But if it makes it easier for you to pu fold them in the same procedures and have them under the same directory tree , knock yourself out .\nPhD B: There 's a couple other questions that I have too ,\nProfessor D: You know ?\nPhD B: and {disfmarker} and {pause} one of them is , what about , uh , consent issues ? And the other one is , what about transcription ? Are {disfmarker} ?\nPhD E: Transcription is done in Munich .\nPhD B: OK . So we don't have to worry about transcribing it ?\nProfessor D: Alright .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: So , w we will hafta worry about format .\nPhD I: That 's a {disfmarker} that 's another argument to keep it separate , because it 's gonna follow the SmartKom transcription conventions and not the ICSI meeting transcription conventions .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: Oh , OK .\nProfessor D: Ah . Good point .\nGrad F: OK . Well , I didn't realize that . That 's {disfmarker} that 's a {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Good point . But I 'm sure no one would have a problem with our folding it in for some acoustic modeling or {disfmarker} or some things . Um . Do we h do we have , uh , um , American - born folk , uh , reading German {disfmarker} German , uh , pla uh , place names and so forth ? Is that {disfmarker} ?\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD I: Exactly .\nProfessor D: Yeah , great .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nGrad F: Yep .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nGrad F: They {disfmarker} they even have a reading list .\nPhD B: I bet that sounds good , huh ?\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: It 's pretty funny .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nPhD E: You can do that if you want .\nPhD B: OK .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD B: I dunno if you want that .\nProfessor D: Right .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nPostdoc A: Hmm .\nProfessor D: Heidelberg\nGrad F: So {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Exactly\nGrad F: Disk might eventually be an issue so we might {disfmarker} we {disfmarker} we might need to , uh , {vocalsound} get some more disk pretty soon .\nPhD I: Do you wanna be a subject ?\nProfessor D: Yeah , I be pretty good .\nPhD I: We {disfmarker} Yeah .\nGrad F: We 're about {disfmarker} we 're about half {disfmarker} halfway through our disk right now .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nPhD I: That was one of our concerns .\nPhD B: Are we only half ? I thought we were more than that .\nGrad F: We 're probably a little more than that because we 're using up some space that we shouldn't be on . So , once everything gets converted over to the disks we 're supposed to be using we 'll be probably , uh , seventy - five percent .\nPhD B: Well , when I was looking for space for Thilo , I found one disk that had , uh , I think it was nine gigs and another one had seventeen .\nGrad F: Yep .\nPhD B: And everything else was sorta committed . Uh {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Were those backed - up or non - backed - up ?\nPhD B: Those were non - backed - up .\nPhD E: Non - back - up .\nGrad F: Right . So that 's different .\nPhD B: S oh , you 're talking about backed - up .\nGrad F: I 'm much more concerned about the backed - up . The non - backed - up ,\nPhD B: I haven't looked to see how much of that we have .\nGrad F: yeah , i is cheap . I mean , if we need to we can buy a disk , hang it off a s uh , workstation . If it 's not backed - up the sysadmins don't care too much .\nProfessor D: Yeah . So , I mean , pretty much anytime we need a disk , we can get it at the rate that we 're {disfmarker}\nPhD I: You can {disfmarker} I shouldn't be saying this , but , you can just {disfmarker} you know , since the back - ups are every night , you can recycle the backed - up diskspace .\nGrad F: Yeah . But that 's {disfmarker} that 's {disfmarker} {pause} that 's risky .\nProfessor D: Yeah . You really shouldn't be saying {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Mmm . Mmm .\nPhD I: I didn't say that .\nGrad F: Yeah , that 's right .\nPhD I: I didn't say that .\nGrad F: Beep that out .\nProfessor D: Da - we had allowed Dave to listen to these {disfmarker} {vocalsound} these , {vocalsound} uh , recordings .\nPhD I: Right .\nProfessor D: Um {disfmarker} {vocalsound} Yeah , I me and there 's been this conversation going on about getting another file server , and {disfmarker} and {vocalsound} we can do that .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: We 'll take the opportunity and get another big raft of {disfmarker} {vocalsound} of disk , I guess .\nGrad F: Yeah . It 's really the back - up issue rather than the file server issue .\nPhD I: Well , I think {disfmarker} {comment} I think there 's an argument for having {disfmarker} you know , you could use our old file server for {disfmarker} for disks that have data that {pause} is very rarely accessed , and then have a fast new file server for data that is , um , heavily accessed .\nGrad F: Yeah . My understanding is , the issue isn't really the file server .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nGrad F: We could always put more disks on .\nPhD I: Yeah . It 's the back it 's the back - up capaci\nGrad F: It 's the back - up system .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nGrad F: So {disfmarker} which is near saturation , apparently . So .\nPhD B: I think {disfmarker} I think the file server could become an issue as we get a whole bunch more new compute machines .\nProfessor D: Soon .\nPhD B: And we 've got , you know , fifty machines trying to access data off of Abbott at once .\nGrad F: Well , we 're alright for now because the network 's so slow .\nPhD I: I mean , I think {disfmarker} I think we 've raised this before and someone said this is not a reliable way to do it , but the {disfmarker} What about putting the stuff on , like , C - CD - ROM or DVD or something ?\nGrad F: Yeah . That was me . I was the one who said it was not reliable . The - they {disfmarker} they wear out .\nPhD I: OK . Oh , OK .\nGrad F: Yeah . The {disfmarker} the {disfmarker} th\nPhD I: But they wear out just from sitting on the shelf ?\nGrad F: Yep . Absolutely .\nPhD I: Or from being {pause} read and read ?\nGrad F: No . Read and write don't hurt them too much unless you scratch them .\nPhD I: Oh , OK .\nGrad F: But the r the write once , and the read - writes , don't last . So you don't wa you don't wanna put ir un reproduceable data {pause} on them .\nPhD I: Uh - huh .\nPhD B: Wear out after what amount of time ?\nGrad F: Year or two .\nPostdoc A: Would it be {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: Year or two ?\nGrad F: Yep .\nProfessor D: Wow .\nPostdoc A: Hmm .\nPhD I: But if that {disfmarker} then you would think you 'd {pause} hear much more clamoring about data loss\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD I: and {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: I mean , yeah , all the L\nGrad F: I {disfmarker} I don't know many people who do it on CD . I mean , they 're {disfmarker} the most {disfmarker} fo\nProfessor D: LDC - all the LDC distributions are on CD - ROM .\nPhD G: Yeah .\nGrad F: They 're on CD , but they 're not {disfmarker} tha that 's not the only source .\nPhD G: Like {disfmarker}\nGrad F: They have them on disk . And they burn new ones every once in a while . But if you go {disfmarker} {vocalsound} if you go k\nPhD I: But , you know , we have {disfmarker}\nPhD G: But we have like thirty {pause} you know , from {pause} ten years ago ?\nProfessor D: We have all sorts of CD - ROMs from a long time ago .\nPhD G: No .\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD G: Yeah !\nGrad F: Well , th th OK .\nPhD G: Ten years ago .\nPhD I: Right .\nPhD G: Ninety - one , and they 're still all fine .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad H: Were they burned or were they pressed ?\nPhD G: Uh , both . I 've burned them and they 're still OK .\nGrad H: Yeah .\nGrad F: The {disfmarker} the pressed ones last for\nPhD G: I mean , usually they 're {disfmarker}\nGrad F: well , not forever , they 've been finding even those degrade .\nProfessor D: Oh , I see .\nGrad F: But , uh , the burned ones {disfmarker} I mean , when I say two or three years what I 'm saying is that I have had disks which are gone in a year .\nPhD G: That 's what I {disfmarker}\nGrad F: On the average , it 'll probably be three or four years . But , uh {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} you don't want to per p have your only copy on a media that fails .\nPhD I: Mmm .\nGrad F: And they do . Um , if you have them professionally pressed , y you know , they 're good for decades .\nPhD I: So how about {disfmarker} ? So {disfmarker} so how about putting them on that plus , like on a {disfmarker} on {disfmarker} on DAT or some other medium that isn't risky ?\nGrad F: I think th um , we can already put them on tape . And the tape is hi is very reliable .\nPhD I: OK . Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: So the {disfmarker} the only issue is then {pause} if we need access to them . So that 's fine f if we don't need access to them .\nPhD I: Right . Well , if {disfmarker} if {disfmarker} if you {disfmarker} if they last {disfmarker} Say , they actually last , like , five years , huh , in {disfmarker} in the typical case , and {disfmarker} and occasionally you might need to recreate one , and then you get your tape out , but otherwise you don't . Can't you just {disfmarker} you just put them on {disfmarker} ?\nGrad H: So you just archive it on the tape , and then put it on CD as well ?\nPhD I: Yeah . Right .\nGrad F: Oh . So you 're just saying put them on C Ds for normal access .\nGrad H: Yeah .\nPhD I: Right .\nPhD B: What you {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Yeah . I mean , you can do that but that 's pretty annoying , because the C Ds are so slow .\nPhD G: See {disfmarker} Yeah .\nGrad H: Yeah .\nPhD I: Mmm .\nPhD B: What 'd be nice is a system that re - burned the C Ds every {vocalsound} year .\nPhD G: H everytime it was a \" gonna \" {disfmarker} \" gonna die \" .\nProfessor D: Well {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Well , I mean , the C Ds are {disfmarker} are an op\nPhD E: Yeah .\nPhD I: It 's like {disfmarker} like dynamic ra DRAM .\nPhD E: Just before .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nPhD G: Just before they be before it goes bad , it burns them in .\nGrad F: The {disfmarker} the CD is an alternative to tape .\nGrad H: Yeah .\nGrad F: ICSI already has a perfectly good tape system and it 's more reliable .\nProfessor D: You know {disfmarker} I would think {disfmarker}\nGrad F: So for archiving , we 'll just use tape .\nPhD I: One {disfmarker} one thing I don't understand is , if you have the data {disfmarker} if {disfmarker} if you if the meeting data is put on disk exactly once , then it 's backed - up once and the back - up system should never have to bother with it , uh , more than once .\nGrad F: Well , regardless {disfmarker} Well , first of all there was , um , a problem with the archive in that I was every once in a while doing a chmod on all the directories an or recursive chmod and chown , because {vocalsound} they weren't getting set correctly every once in a while ,\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: and I was just , {vocalsound} doing a minus R star , {vocalsound} not realizing that that caused {pause} it to be re - backed - up .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nPhD G: Ah .\nGrad F: But normally you 're correct . But even without that , the back - up system is becoming saturated .\nPhD I: But {disfmarker} but this back - up system is smart enough to figure out that something hasn't changed and doesn't need to be {pause} backed - up again .\nProfessor D: The b I think th the {disfmarker} at least the once tha that you put it on , it would {disfmarker} {vocalsound} it would {comment} {vocalsound} kill that .\nGrad F: Sure , but we still have enough changed that the nightly back - ups are starting to take too long .\nPhD I: OK . So {disfmarker} so then , if {disfmarker} So {disfmarker} so then , let 's {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: So .\nGrad F: It has nothing to do with the meeting . It 's just the general ICSI back - up system is becoming saturated .\nPhD I: Right . OK . Right . So , what if we buy , uh {disfmarker} uh , what {disfmarker} what do they call these , um {pause} high density {disfmarker} ?\nGrad F: Well , why don't you have this {disfmarker} have a {disfmarker} this conversation with Dave Johnson tha rather than with me ?\nPhD I: No , no . Because this is {pause} maybe something that we can do without involving Dave , and {disfmarker} and , putting more burden on him . How about we buy , uh {disfmarker} uh {disfmarker} uh , one of these high density tape drives ? And we put the data actually on non - backed - up disks . And we do our own back - up once and for all {disfmarker} all , and then {disfmarker} and we don't have to bother this @ @ up ?\nGrad F: Actually , you know , we could do that just with the tape {disfmarker} with the current tape .\nPhD I: I dunno what the these tapes {disfmarker} uh , at some point these {disfmarker} I dunno . What kind of tape drive is it ?\nGrad F: I dunno but it 's an automatic robot so it 's very convenient .\nPhD I: Is it {disfmarker} is {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: Wh The o the one that we have ?\nGrad F: You just run a program to restore them .\nPhD I: Right .\nProfessor D: The {disfmarker} I mean {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD I: But it might interfere with their back - up schedule ,\nPhD G: But {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: No , we have s we {disfmarker} Don't we have our own ?\nPhD I: eh .\nProfessor D: Something wi th that doesn't {disfmarker} that isn't used by the back - up gang ? Don't we have something downstairs ?\nPostdoc A: Well they {disfmarker}\nPhD B: What kinda tape drive ?\nProfessor D: Just in {disfmarker} ? Yeah .\nGrad F: Well {disfmarker} but {disfmarker} no , but Andreas 's point is a good one . And we don't have to do anything ourselves to do that . They 're already right now on tape .\nPhD I: Right .\nGrad F: Right . So your {disfmarker} your point is , and I think it 's a good one , that we could just get more disk and put it there .\nPhD I: Mmm . On an XH {disfmarker} uh , X {disfmarker} X whatever partition .\nGrad F: Yeah . That 's not a bad idea .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nProfessor D: Yeah , that 's basically what I was gonna say , is that a disk is {disfmarker} is so cheap it 's es essentially , you know , close to free . And the only thing that costs is the back - up {pause} issue , {vocalsound} eh , to first order .\nGrad F: So once it 's on tape {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Right . Right .\nProfessor D: And we can take care of that by putting it on non - back {pause} up drives and just backing it up once onto this tape .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: I think that 's a good idea .\nPhD I: Right .\nProfessor D: Oh . Yeah .\nPhD I: OK .\nProfessor D: Good . It 's good .\nPhD G: So , who 's gonna do these back - ups ? The people that collect it ?\nGrad F: Uh Well , I 'll talk to Dave , and {disfmarker} and see what th how {disfmarker} {nonvocalsound} what the best way of doing that is .\nPhD B: It 's probably gonna n\nGrad F: There 's a little utility that will manually burn a tape for you , and that 's probably the right way to do it .\nPhD B: Yeah , and we should probably make that part of the procedure for recording the meetings .\nPhD G: Well , s\nGrad F: Yep .\nPhD G: Yeah . That 's what I 'm wondering , if {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Well {pause} we 're g we 're gonna automate that .\nPhD G: OK .\nGrad F: My intention is to {pause} do a script that 'll do everything .\nPhD G: I mean , you don't have to physically put a tape in the drive ?\nGrad F: No . It 's all tape robot ,\nPhD G: Or s ? s ? {comment} Oh , OK .\nGrad F: so you just sit down at your computer and you type a command .\nPhD G: So it 's just {disfmarker} Oh , OK .\nPhD I: Yeah , but then you 're effectively using the resources of the back - up system . Or is that a different tape robot ?\nGrad F: Yeah .\nPhD G: But not at the same time .\nGrad F: But y but you would be anyway .\nPhD B: No , no , no .\nGrad F: Right ?\nPhD B: He 's saying get a whole different drive .\nGrad F: Because {disfmarker}\nPhD I: No , no . See {disfmarker}\nGrad F: But there 's no reason to do that .\nPhD I: Yeah , just give a dedi\nGrad F: It {disfmarker} we already have it there and it {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Well , I 'm saying is @ @ i if you go to Dave , and {disfmarker} and {disfmarker} and ask him \" can I use your tape robot ? \" , he will say , \" well {pause} that 's gonna screw up our back - up operation . \"\nGrad F: No , we won't . He 'll say \" if {disfmarker} if that means {pause} that it 's not gonna be backed - up standardly , great . \"\nProfessor D: He - I {disfmarker} Dave has {disfmarker} has promoted this in the past . So I don't think he 's actually against it .\nGrad F: Yeah . It 's {disfmarker} it 's definitely no problem .\nPhD I: Oh , OK . Alright .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: Alright .\nProfessor D: OK .\nPhD I: Good .\nPhD G: What about if the times overlap with the normal back - up time ?\nGrad F: Um , it 's {disfmarker} it 's just {disfmarker} it 's just a utility which queues up . It just queues it up and {disfmarker} and when it 's available , it will copy it .\nPhD G: OK .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: And then you can tell it to then remove it from the disk or you can , you know , do it a a few days later or whatever you wanna do , after you confirm that it 's really backed - up .\nPhD G: OK .\nGrad F: NW {disfmarker} ?\nPostdoc A: You saying NW archive ?\nGrad F: NW archive .\nPostdoc A: Yep {comment} {vocalsound} And if you did that during the day it would never make it to the nightly back - ups .\nGrad F: That 's what it is .\nProfessor D: OK .\nGrad F: Right .\nPostdoc A: And then there wouldn't be this extra load .\nPhD I: Well , it {disfmarker} if he {disfmarker} you have to put the data on a {disfmarker} on a non - backed - up disk to begin with .\nPostdoc A: Well , but you can have it NW archive to {disfmarker} you can have , {vocalsound} uh , a non - backed - up disk NW archived ,\nGrad F: Right .\nPhD I: So that {disfmarker} so that {disfmarker} otherwise you don't {disfmarker} you {disfmarker}\nPostdoc A: and it 'll never show up on the nightly back - ups .\nGrad F: Right . And then it never {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Right . Right .\nGrad F: Right . Which I 'm sure would make ever the sysadmins very happy .\nPhD I: Right .\nPostdoc A: Yeah .\nGrad F: So , I think that 's a good idea .\nPhD I: OK .\nGrad F: That 's what we should do .\nPhD I: OK .\nGrad F: So , that means we 'll probably wanna convert all {disfmarker} all those files {disfmarker} filesystems to non - backed - up media .\nPhD B: That sounds good .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nGrad F: Yep .\nProfessor D: Um , another , thing on the agenda said SRI recognition experiments ? What 's that ?\nPhD I: SRI recognition ? Oh .\nGrad F: That wasn't me .\nProfessor D: Uh .\nPhD I: Um . well ,\nProfessor D: Who 's that ?\nPhD I: we have lots of them . Uh , I dunno . Chuck , do you have any {disfmarker} any updates ?\nPhD B: N I 'm successfully , uh , increasing the error rate . Uh {disfmarker}\nGrad F: That 's good .\nGrad H: Mmm .\nPhD I: Oh .\nPhD G: Lift the Herve approach .\nPhD B: Yeah . So , I mean I 'm just playing with , um , the number of Gaussians that we use in the {disfmarker} the recognizer , and {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Well , you have to sa you have to {pause} tell people that you 're {disfmarker} you 're doing {disfmarker} you 're trying the tandem features .\nPhD B: Yes , I 'm using tandem features .\nGrad F: Oh you are ?\nPhD B: And {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Cool .\nPhD I: A and I 'm still tinkering with the PLP features .\nGrad F: \nProfessor D: Yeah , I got confused by the results . It sai because {disfmarker} uh , the {pause} meeting before , {vocalsound} you said \" OK , we got it down to where they 're {disfmarker} they 're within a tenth of a percent \" .\nPhD B: That was on males .\nPhD I: Right . That was {disfmarker} that was before I tried it on the females .\nProfessor D: Oh .\nPhD I: See , women are nothi are , trouble .\nProfessor D: It 's the women are the problem . OK .\nPhD I: Right ? As we all know . So .\nPhD G: Well , let 's just say that men are simple .\nPhD I: So {disfmarker} {comment} so , when {disfmarker} So I {disfmarker} I had {disfmarker} I ha\nGrad F: That was a quick response .\nPhD I: So , we had reached the point where {disfmarker}\nPhD G: I 'm well rehearsed .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: we had reached the point where , {comment} um , on the male portion of the {pause} development set , the , um {disfmarker} or one of the development sets , I should say {disfmarker} {vocalsound} the , um {disfmarker} the male error rate with , uh , ICSI PLP features was pretty much identical with , uh , SRI features . which are {pause} MFCC . So , um , then I thought , \" Oh , great . I 'll j I 'll {disfmarker} just let 's make sure everything works on the females . \" And the error rate {disfmarker} you know , there was a three percent difference .\nProfessor D: Oh . Uh - huh .\nPhD I: So ,\nPhD G: Is there less training data ?\nPhD I: uh {disfmarker}\nPhD G: I mean , we don\nPhD I: No , actually there 's more training data .\nPhD G: This is on just digits ?\nProfessor D: No .\nPhD I: No , no .\nGrad F: No .\nPhD B: Hub - five .\nGrad F: It 's , uh , Swi\nPhD G: Oh , sorry . OK . This is on {disfmarker}\nPhD I: This is Hub - five .\nPhD G: Oh , OK .\nGrad F: Hub - five . Yeah .\nPhD I: Yeah . Um , and the test data is CallHome and Switchboard . So , uh {disfmarker} so then {pause} um {disfmarker} Oh , and plus the {disfmarker} the vocal tract {pause} length normalization didn't {disfmarker} actually made things worse . So something 's really seriously wrong . So {disfmarker} Um {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Aha ! OK .\nPhD I: So {disfmarker} So {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: So {disfmarker} but you see , now , between {disfmarker} between the males and the females , there 's certainly a much bigger difference in the scaling range , than there is , say , just within the males . And what you were using before was scaling factors that were just from the {disfmarker} the m the {pause} SRI front - end . And that worked {disfmarker} that worked fine .\nPhD I: That 's true . Yeah .\nProfessor D: Uh , but now you 're looking over a larger range and it may not be so fine .\nPhD I: Well , um {disfmarker} So {disfmarker} I just {disfmarker} d so the one thing that I then tried was to put in the low - pass filter , which we have in the {disfmarker} So , most {disfmarker} most Hub - five systems actually band - limit the {disfmarker} uh , at about , uh , thirty - seven hundred , um , hertz .\nProfessor D: Uh - huh .\nPhD I: Although , you know , normally , I mean , the channel goes to four {disfmarker} four thousand . Right ? So , um {disfmarker} And that actually helped , uh {disfmarker} uh , a little bit .\nProfessor D: Uh - huh .\nPhD I: Um {pause} and it didn't hurt on the males either . So , um {disfmarker} And I 'm now , uh , trying the {disfmarker} Oh , and suddenly , also the v the vocal tract length normalization only in the test se on the test data . So , you can do vocal tract length normalization on the test data only or on both the training and the test .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: And you expect it to help a little bit if you do it only on the test , and s more if you do it on both training and test .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: And so the {disfmarker} It now helps , if you do it only on the test , and I 'm currently retraining another set of models where it 's both in the training and the test , and then we 'll {disfmarker} we 'll have , hopefully , even better results . So {disfmarker} But there 's {disfmarker} It looks like there will still be some difference , maybe between one and two percent , um , for the females .\nProfessor D: Huh .\nPhD I: And so , um , you know , I 'm open to suggestions .\nGrad F: Mm - hmm .\nPhD I: And it is true that the , uh {disfmarker} that the {disfmarker} {vocalsound} you know , we are using the {disfmarker} But {disfmarker} it can't be just the VTL ,\nProfessor D: Uh - huh .\nPhD I: because if you don't do VTL in both systems , uh , you know , the {disfmarker} the females are considerably worse in the {disfmarker} with the PLP features .\nProfessor D: No {disfmarker} no . I {disfmarker} I remember that .\nGrad F: It 's much worse . Yeah .\nPhD I: So there must be some {disfmarker} something else going on .\nPhD G: Well , what 's the standard {disfmarker} ? Yeah , so I thought the performance was actually a little better on females than males .\nGrad F: That 's what I thought , too .\nPhD I: Um , {pause} that {pause} ye {comment} overall , yes , but on this particular development test set , they 're actually a little worse . But that 's beside the point . We 're looking at the discrepancy between the SRI system and the SRI system when trained with ICSI features .\nPhD G: Right . I 'm just wondering if that {disfmarker} if {disfmarker} if you have any indication of your standard features ,\nGrad F: What 's {disfmarker} Are the freq ?\nPhD G: you know , if that 's also different {pause} or in the same direction or not .\nProfessor D: You 're {disfmarker} This is {disfmarker} lemme ask a q more basic que\nPhD G: Cuz {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: I mean , is this , uh {disfmarker} uh , iterative , Baum - Welch training ?\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: Or is it Viterbi training ? Or {disfmarker} ?\nPhD I: It 's Baum - Welch training .\nProfessor D: Baum - Welch training . And how do you determine when to {disfmarker} to stop iterating ?\nPhD I: Um {disfmarker} Well , actually , we {disfmarker} we just basically do a s a fixed number of iterations .\nGrad F: Hmm .\nPhD I: Uh , in this case four . Um , which {disfmarker} Eh , we used to do only three , and then we found out we can squeeze {disfmarker} And it was basically , we 're s we 're keeping it on the safe side . But you 're d Right . It might be that one more iteration {vocalsound} would {disfmarker} would help , but it 's sort of\nProfessor D: Or maybe {disfmarker} or maybe you 're doing one too many .\nPhD I: you know .\nProfessor D: I mean it 's {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker}\nPhD I: No , but with Baum - Welch , there shouldn't be an over - fitting issue , really .\nProfessor D: Uh . {comment} Well , there can be . Sure .\nGrad F: Well , you can try each one on a cross - validation set ,\nPhD I: Um .\nProfessor D: It d if you {disfmarker} if you remember some years ago Bill Byrne did a thing where he was {disfmarker} he was looking at that ,\nGrad F: can't you ?\nProfessor D: and he showed that you could get it .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nProfessor D: So . But {disfmarker} {comment} but {disfmarker} {vocalsound} but , um {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Well , yeah . We can {disfmarker} Well , that 's {disfmarker} that 's the easy one to check ,\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: because we save all the intermediate models\nGrad F: Do you {disfmarker} ?\nPhD I: and we can {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: And in each case , ho\nGrad F: What {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: um , I 'm sorry {disfmarker} in each case how do you determine , you know , the {disfmarker} the usual {pause} fudge factors ? The , uh {disfmarker} {vocalsound} the , uh , language , uh , scaling , acoustic scaling , uh , uh {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Um {pause} I uh {disfmarker} {comment} I 'm actually re - optimizing them . Although that hasn't shown to make {pause} a big difference .\nProfessor D: OK . And the pru the question he was asking at one point about pruning , uh {disfmarker} Remember that one ?\nPhD I: Pruning {disfmarker} ?\nProfessor D: Well , he was {disfmarker} he 's {disfmarker} it looked like the probabil at one point he was looking at the probabilities he was getting out {disfmarker} at the likelihoods he was getting out of PLP versus mel cepstrum , and they looked pretty different ,\nPhD I: Pruning in the {disfmarker} ?\nPhD B: Yeah , the likelihoods were {pause} lower for the PLP .\nProfessor D: as I recall .\nPhD G: Oh .\nProfessor D: And so , uh , there 's the question {disfmarker}\nPhD I: I you mean {disfmarker} did you see this in the SRI system ?\nPhD B: Mm - hmm . Was just looking through the log files ,\nPhD I: Um . Well , the likelihoods are {disfmarker}\nPhD B: and {disfmarker}\nPhD I: You can't directly compare them , because , for every set of models you compute a new normalization . And so these log probabilities , they aren't directly comparable\nPhD B: Oh .\nPhD I: because you have a different normalization constants for each model you train .\nPhD B: Hmm .\nProfessor D: But , still it 's a question {disfmarker}\nPhD I: So {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: if you have some threshold somewhere in terms of beam search or something ,\nPhD B: Well , yeah . That 's what I was wondering .\nProfessor D: or {disfmarker} ?\nPhD I: W yeah . I mean {disfmarker} Uh {disfmarker}\nPhD B: I mean , if you have one threshold that works well because the range of your likelihoods is in this area {disfmarker}\nPhD I: We prune very conservatively . I mean , as we saw with the meeting data , um {pause} we could probably tighten the pruning without really {disfmarker} So we we basically we have a very open beam .\nProfessor D: But , you 're only talking about a percent or two .\nPhD B: Yeah .\nProfessor D: Right ? Here we 're - we 're saying that we there {disfmarker} gee , there 's this b eh , there 's this difference here . And {pause} it {disfmarker} See cuz , i i {comment} there could be lots of things . Right ? But {disfmarker} but {disfmarker} but {disfmarker} but , um , let 's suppose just for a second that , uh , we 've sort of taken out a lot of the {disfmarker} the major differences , uh , between the two .\nPhD I: Right . Course . Mm - hmm . Right .\nProfessor D: I mean , we 're already sort of using the mel scale and we 're using the same style filter integration , and {vocalsound} and , well , we 're making sure that low and high {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Actually , there is {disfmarker} the difference in that . So , for the PLP features we use the triangular filter shapes . And for the {disfmarker} in the SRI front - end we use the trapezoidal one .\nGrad F: And what 's the top frequency of each ?\nPhD I: Well , now it 's the same . It 's thirty {disfmarker} thirty to seven hundred and sixty hertz .\nGrad F: Yeah . Exp - one 's triangular , one 's trapezoidal . So {disfmarker}\nPhD I: No , no . But {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: Before we {disfmarker} i i th with straight PLP , it 's trapezoidal also .\nPhD I: Well {disfmarker} But {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: But then we had a slight difference in the {disfmarker} in the scale . Uh , so .\nPhD I: Since currently the Feacalc program doesn't allow me to change {pause} the filter shape independently of the scale .\nGrad F: Uh - huh .\nPhD I: And , I did the experiment on the SRI front - end where I tried the {disfmarker} y where the standard used to be to use trapezoidal filters . You can actually continuously vary it between the two . And so I wen I swi I tried the trap eh , triangular ones . And it did slightly worse , but it 's really a small difference .\nGrad F: Hmm .\nProfessor D: Coup - Couple tenths of a percent or something .\nPhD I: So {disfmarker}\nGrad F: OK .\nProfessor D: Right .\nGrad F: So it 's not just losing some {vocalsound} frequency range .\nPhD I: Yeah , exactly . So , it 's not {disfmarker} I don't think the filter shape by itself will make a huge {comment} difference .\nProfessor D: Yeah . Right . So the oth {vocalsound} the other thing that {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Yeah .\nProfessor D: So , f i We 've always viewed it , anyway , as the major difference between the two , is actually in the smoothing , that the {disfmarker} that the , um , {vocalsound} PLP , and {disfmarker} and the reason PLP has been advantageous in , uh , slightly noisy situations is because , {vocalsound} PLP does the smoothing at the end by an auto - regressive model ,\nPhD I: Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: and mel cepstrum does it by just computing the lower cepstral coefficients .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: Um . So , um {disfmarker} Mm - hmm .\nPhD I: OK . So {pause} one thing I haven't done yet is to actually do all of this with a much larger {disfmarker} with our full training set . So right now , we 're using a {disfmarker} I don't know , forty ? I i it 's {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker} eh {comment} it 's a f training set that 's about , um , you know , by a factor of four smaller than what we use when we train the full system . So , some of these smoothing issues are over - fitting for that matter .\nProfessor D: Mm - hmm .\nPhD I: And the Baum - Welch should be much less of a factor , if you go full {disfmarker} whole hog .\nProfessor D: Could be . Yeah .\nPhD I: And so , w so , just um {disfmarker} so the strategy is to first sort of treat things {pause} with fast turn - around on a smaller training set and then , {vocalsound} when you 've sort of , narrowed it down , you try it on a larger training set .\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: And so , we haven't done that yet .\nProfessor D: Now the other que related question , though , is {disfmarker} is , {vocalsound} uh , what 's the boot models for these things ?\nPhD I: Th - th the boot models are trained from scratch . So we compute , um {disfmarker} So , we start with a , um , alil alignment that we computed with the b sort of the best system we have . And {disfmarker} and then we train from scratch . So we com we do a , you know , w um {disfmarker} {vocalsound} We collect the {disfmarker} uh , the observations from those alignments under each of the feature sets that {disfmarker} that we {pause} train . And then , from there we do , um {disfmarker} There 's a lot of , actually {disfmarker} {vocalsound} The way it works , you first train a phonetically - tied mixture model . Um . You do a total of {disfmarker} First you do a context - independent PTM model . Then you switch to a context {disfmarker} You do two iterations of that . Then you do two iterations of {disfmarker} of {disfmarker} of context - dependent phonetically - tied mixtures . And then from that you {disfmarker} you do the {disfmarker} you {disfmarker} you go to a state - clustered model ,\nProfessor D: Yeah .\nPhD I: and you do four iterations of that . So there 's a lot of iterations overall between your original boot models and the final models . I don't think that {disfmarker} Hmm . We have never seen big differences . Once I thought \" oh , I can {disfmarker} Now I have these much better models . I 'll re - generate my initial alignments . Then I 'll get much better models at the end . \" Made no difference whatsoever . It 's {disfmarker} I think it 's {disfmarker} eh , i\nProfessor D: Right . Well , mis for making things better .\nPhD I: the boot models are recur\nProfessor D: Yeah . But , this for making things worse . This it migh Th - the thought is {disfmarker} is {disfmarker} is possible {disfmarker} another possible {pause} partial cause is if the boot models {vocalsound} used a comple used a different feature set , that {disfmarker}\nPhD I: Mm - hmm . Mm - hmm . But there are no boot models , in fact . You {disfmarker} you 're not booting from initial models . You 're booting from initial alignments .\nProfessor D: Which you got from a different feature set .\nPhD I: That 's correct .\nProfessor D: So , those features look at the data differently , actually .\nPhD I: Yeah , but {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: I mean , you know , they {disfmarker} they will find boundaries a little differently , though {disfmarker} You know , all th all that sort of thing is actually slightly different . I 'd expect it to be a minor effect ,\nPhD I: But {disfmarker} but {disfmarker} but , what I 'm {disfmarker} what I 'm saying is {disfmarker}\nProfessor D: but {disfmarker}\nPhD I: So , we e w f w For a long time we had used boot alignments that had been trained with a {disfmarker} {vocalsound} with the same front - end but with acoustic models that were , like , fifteen percent worse than what we use now .\nProfessor D: Mm - hmm .\nPhD I: And with a dict different dictionary {disfmarker} with a considerably different dictionary , which was much less detailed and much less well - suited .\nProfessor D: Mm - hmm . Yeah .\nPhD I: And so , {vocalsound} then we switched to new boot alignments , which {disfmarker} which now had the benefit of all these improvements that we 've made over two years in the system .\nProfessor D: Right .\nPhD I: And , the result in the end was no different .\nProfessor D: Right .\nPhD I: So , what I 'm saying is , the exact nature of these boot alignments is probably not {pause} a big factor in the quality of the final models .\nProfessor D: Yeah , maybe not . But {pause} it {disfmarker} it {disfmarker} I st still see it as {disfmarker} I mean , {vocalsound} there 's {disfmarker} there 's a history to this , too ,\nPhD I: Yeah .\nProfessor D: but I {disfmarker} uh , I don't wanna go into ,\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: but {disfmarker} but I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I th I think it could be the things {pause} that it {disfmarker} the data is being viewed in a certain way , uh , that a beginning is here rather than there and so forth ,\nPhD I: Yeah . Right .\nProfessor D: because the actual signal - processing you 're doing is slightly different .\nPhD I: Right .\nProfessor D: But , {vocalsound} it 's {disfmarker} it 's {disfmarker} that 's probably not it .\nPhD I: Yeah . Anyway , I {disfmarker} I {disfmarker} I should really reserve , uh , any conclusions until we 've done it on the large training set , um , and until we 've seen the results with the {disfmarker} with the VTL in training .\nProfessor D: Yeah . At some point you also might wanna take the same thing and try it on , uh , some Broadcast News data or something else that actually has {disfmarker} has some noisy {disfmarker} {vocalsound} noisy components , so we can see if any conclusions we come to holds {vocalsound} across {pause} different data .\nPhD I: So . Yeah . Right .\nProfessor D: Uh {disfmarker}\nPhD I: And , uh , with this , I have to leave .\nProfessor D: OK .\nGrad H: Hmm !\nProfessor D: So , is there something quick about Absinthe {pause} that you {disfmarker} ?\nPhD I: With this said .\nGrad F: Uh . Just what we were talking about before , which is that I ported a Blass library to Absinthe , and then got {disfmarker} got it working with fast - forward , and got {vocalsound} {vocalsound} a speedup roughly proportional to the number of processors times the clock cycle .\nPhD I: Oh .\nGrad F: So , that 's pretty good .\nPhD I: Oh ! Cool .\nGrad F: Um , I 'm in the process of doing it for Quicknet , but there 's something going wrong and it 's about half the speed that I was estimating it should be , and I 'm not sure why .\nPhD I: Mm - hmm .\nGrad F: But I 'll keep working on it . But the {disfmarker} what it means is that it 's likely that for net training and forward passes , we 'll {disfmarker} Absinthe will be a good machine . Especially if we get a few more processors and upgrade the processors .\nPhD I: A few more processors ? How many are you shooting for ?\nGrad F: There 're five now . It can hold eight .\nPhD I: Oh , OK .\nProfessor D: Yeah , we 'll just go buy them , I guess .\nGrad F: And it 's also five - fifty megahertz and you can get a gigahertz .\nPhD I: Yeah .\nGrad F: So .\nPhD I: Can you mix {pause} t uh , processors of different speed ?\nGrad F: I don't think so . I think we 'd have to do all {disfmarker}\nPhD I: OK .\nProfessor D: Probably just throw away the old ones , and {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Yep .\nProfessor D: Thank you {pause} for the box ,\nPhD I: Oh , OK .\nProfessor D: and {disfmarker} {vocalsound} I 'll just go buy their process .\nGrad H: Hmm !\nPhD I: Maybe we can stick them in another system . I dunno .\nGrad F: We 'd have to get a {disfmarker} almost certainly have to get a , uh , Netfinity server .\nPhD I: I see .\nGrad F: They 're pretty {disfmarker} pretty specialized .\nProfessor D: Yeah . OK .\nPhD I: OK .\nProfessor D: Is {disfmarker} is Liz coming back , do you know , or {disfmarker} ? I dunno . Yeah . Oh , you don't . OK . Alright . Alright . See you . Um . Alright . So {disfmarker} Uh , they 're having tea out there . So I guess the other thing that we were gonna talk about is {disfmarker} is , uh , demo . And , um , so , these are the demos for the {pause} uh , July , uh , meeting {pause} and , um {disfmarker} DARPA mee\nGrad F: July what ? Early July ? Late July ?\nProfessor D: Oh , I think it 's July fifteenth .\nPostdoc A: Sixteen to eighteen , I think .\nProfessor D: Is that it ?\nPostdoc A: Roughly .\nProfessor D: Yeah , sixteenth , eighteenth . Yeah . So , we talked about getting something together for that , but maybe , uh {disfmarker} maybe we 'll just put that off for now , given that {disfmarker} But I think maybe we should have a {disfmarker} a sub - meeting , I think , uh , probably , uh , Adam and {disfmarker} and , uh , Chuck and me should talk about {disfmarker} should get together and talk about that sometime soon .\nGrad F: Over a cappuccino tomorrow ?\nProfessor D: Yeah {comment} something like that . Um , uh , you know , maybe {disfmarker} maybe we 'll involve Dan Ellis at some {disfmarker} some level as well .\nGrad F: Mm - hmm .\nProfessor D: Um . OK . The {disfmarker} the tea is {disfmarker} is going , so , uh , I suggest we do , uh {disfmarker} uh , a unison .\nGrad F: A unison digits ?\nPostdoc A: OK .\nProfessor D: Yeah . Gets our {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Which is gonna be a little hard for a couple people because we have different digits forms .\nPhD E: Oops .\nGrad F: We have a {disfmarker} I found a couple of old ones .\nProfessor D: Oh .\nGrad H: Hmm .\nProfessor D: Well , that 'll be interesting . So , uh {disfmarker}\nGrad F: Have you done digits before ?\nProfessor D: No .\nGrad C: I haven't done it .\nGrad F: OK . So , uh , the idea is just to read each line {pause} with a short pause between lines ,\nGrad C: Alright .\nGrad F: not between {disfmarker} And , uh , since we 're in a hurry , we were just gonna read everyone all at once . So , if you sorta plug your ears and read {disfmarker}\nGrad C: OK .\nGrad F: So first read the transcript number , and then start reading the {pause} digits .\nGrad C: Sure .\nGrad F: OK ? One , two , three .\nProfessor D: OK we 're done .\nGrad F: And {disfmarker}", "source": "meeting_summ", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Give a broad summary of guest impressions about Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport.", "Summarize what guests have said about the staff and service at Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport.", "What are guests saying about the comfort and amenities of the rooms at Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport?", "What are guest opinions on the location of Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport?", "How do guests rate the cleanliness of Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport?", "What do guests say about the food options and quality at Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport?"], "outputs": ["The staff are friendly and exceptional. Every room (lobby included) was very clean. They are spacious, very quiet, and come with a coffee maker. Though, the rooms are outdated in decor. The hotel itself is conveniently close to the airport and restaurants. There's a chocolate-chip cookie at arrival, and for the prices, the experience is a good value. Service was exceptional and the quality was great! The rooms are always clean, quiet and spacious with nicely appointed bathrooms. The location is across the street from the airport, was within walking distance to a Denny's and other restaurants. The hotel interior itself is a bit outdated, but the room we stayed was modern. All the staff was exceptionally helpful, courteous, and friendly, keeping the rooms clean and well-prepared. The interior of the hotel needs updating, but the rooms themselves were very spacious, modern, and comfortable to stay in. The hotel itself is conveniently located near the airport, a steak restaurant, fast food, and has a free shuttle service for broader access to Seattle.", "The staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful both at the front desk and the restaurant. Expect sweet welcoming gifts at your check-in. Helpful, courteous, warm staff helps with a wind down after traveling. There is also a chocolate chip cookie at check-in. Mostly the staff is extremely helpful and friendly, helping to take the stress out of traveling. The cookies given at check in were greatly appreciated.", "The rooms are large and quite, you can't hear the planes taking off at the airport next door. The beds are comfortable and large. The bathrooms are mixed, some need cleaner doors and to be renovated, others seem clean and well appointed. The ice and vending machines are close. The coffee machine in the room is appreciated. The lighting was insufficient, and an old basement smell was present sometimes. While close to the airport, it was quiet because of thick windows. The beds were large and comfortable with lots of extra pillows. The bathrooms could use some refurbishment. Furnishings were complete with an ottoman, an easy chair, and a coffee maker. A balcony gives a great view of the surrounding city. This hotel features very comfortable and spacious rooms, with balcony, coffeemaker, comfortable beds and were well furnished. Some things that need work is the bad lighting, unkempt bathrooms and smell of mildew. All that being said, the rooms are very quiet even though the hotel is close to the airport.", "It's a convenient location close to the airport, with shuttle service to and from the airport that runs every 15 minutes for 24 hours a day. The shuttle service is very good. It's so close you could even walk to the airport if you wanted. It's also in convenient walking distance of many restaurants. The airport was convenient to reach with the help of a speedy, twenty-four hour shuttle bus. Also located nearby, within walking distance, was a Denny's, a fast food joint, and a steak house. Within walking distance from the airport, this hotel's location is great. There is even a 24 hour shuttle that runs every 15 min that will take you to the airport or some near by places to eat like Denny's Jack in the Box and a steak place.", "The spacious hotel lobby and rooms are very clean, comfortable, and well-appointed. Although the hotel's architecture feels dated, the rooms and bathrooms are clean. Even thought there was a minor issue with gaining access to the room because of a faulty magnetic door, the room and bedding were clean and comfortable.", "The hotel restaurant's food was nicely presented, and sometimes good. However, sometimes it was bland and tasteless, and a bit pricey. The restaurant's clam chowder was good. The breakfast buffet isn't a bad deal for what you get. The fresh cookies given at check in were delicious. Food was well presented and some of it was tasty, if a little pricey, but the clam chowder at the restaurant and the breakfast buffet made the trip all the more worth it. Dave's Diner next door was also enjoyable. Although some of the food was bland and a little overpriced, the clam chowder was good. The staff even gave out these delicious freshly baked cookies int he reception area and the breakfast buffet is also a great value for what is offered."], "gpt4_outputs": ["Guests at Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport have praised the staff and service, describing them as friendly, helpful, and efficient. The comfort and amenities of the rooms have been well-received, with guests mentioning comfortable beds, spacious rooms, and clean bathrooms. The hotel's location is considered convenient due to its proximity to the airport and availability of a shuttle service. Cleanliness has been rated highly by guests, who found the rooms to be well-maintained. Lastly, the food options and quality at the hotel have received mixed reviews, with some guests enjoying their meals while others found them to be overpriced and average in quality.", "Guests have praised the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport for its comfortable and spacious rooms, friendly staff, and convenient airport shuttle service. They also appreciated the warm cookies upon check-in and the hotel's proximity to the airport. Some guests mentioned that the hotel could be a bit noisy and that parking fees were an inconvenience. Overall, the majority of guests had a positive experience and would stay here again.", "Guests at the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport have praised the hotel's convenient location, comfortable beds, and spacious rooms. They also enjoyed the pool and found the staff to be friendly and helpful. The complimentary airport shuttle was appreciated, and many guests mentioned the warm cookies given at check-in as a nice touch. Some guests, however, were disappointed with the additional fees for parking and in-room internet. Overall, the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport is a solid choice for travelers looking for a comfortable stay near the airport.", "Guests generally have positive opinions of the location of the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport. They appreciate the hotel's proximity to the airport, with some even mentioning that it is within walking distance. The convenient and frequent airport shuttle is also a highlight for many guests. The hotel is also close to various dining options and has easy access to public transportation, making it convenient for those who want to explore the surrounding area. Overall, guests find the location suitable for their needs, particularly for layovers or pre-flight stays.", "Guests rate the cleanliness of the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport as good overall. The rooms are described as spacious, clean, and well-appointed, with comfortable beds and nice linens. Some guests mention that the hotel could use some updating, but it is still considered adequate and well-maintained. The hotel's close proximity to the airport and convenient shuttle service are also appreciated by guests. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the warm cookies at check-in are a popular touch.", "Guests at the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport have mentioned the comfortable beds, spacious rooms, and friendly staff as some of the positive aspects of their stay. The food options are considered good, but a bit pricey. The hotel is conveniently located near the airport and offers a shuttle service. Some guests have mentioned that the hotel could use some updating and maintenance. Overall, it is a suitable choice for travelers looking for a short stay near the airport."], "claude_outputs": ["Many guests appreciated the hotel's convenient location close to Sea-Tac Airport, with the shuttle and easy access to the airport terminals. The rooms were generally found to be clean and comfortable, though some felt they were a bit outdated. The beds were praised for being soft and comfortable. The staff was frequently described as friendly, attentive and helpful. The warm chocolate chip cookies on arrival were a popular touch mentioned by multiple guests. However, several guests criticized the mandatory paid parking, feeling it was expensive and unfair for hotel guests. Other complaints included long walks to rooms from parking areas, noisy heaters and traffic noise, and lack of cleanliness in some rooms. Overall, while the hotel's location and basic comforts were praised, the annoyances of paid parking and some inconsistencies in room quality tempered fully positive impressions for many guests.", "Most reviews comment positively on the hotel staff, describing them as friendly, helpful, and professional. Guests note front desk staff, shuttle drivers, restaurant servers, and housekeeping crews were all attentive and courteous. However, a few reviewers experienced slow check-in times or indifference from some staff members.", "Guests describe the rooms as spacious and comfortable, particularly the beds and pillows. However, some note that the wing rooms have dated furnishings and decor while tower rooms are more modern. Tower rooms offer amenities like mini-fridges, microwaves and coffeemakers. However, some guests complain of noise, mildew and smells in the wing rooms.", "The proximity to the airport is obviously a major draw. The 24-hour airport shuttle service is praised for being frequent and convenient. However, the hotel's distance from downtown Seattle is cited as a drawback. While some guests appreciated the view of the airport, others found the noise from airport traffic disturbing.", "While most guests say their rooms were clean, several mention issues like dirty bathrooms, mildew smells, and stained carpets, especially in wing rooms that have not been recently renovated. A few report unsatisfactory initial rooms that were only cleaned after switching rooms or complaining.", "The food and dining options receive mixed reviews. The hotel restaurants and room service are described as overpriced for the average quality of food. However, some praise individual menu items like the clam chowder and soups. Reviewers note there are better and cheaper dining options within walking distance. While a breakfast buffet is offered, most guests say it is also pricey for what is included."], "input": "Review #0:We stayed here on a lay over home from Cancun. It was great to have a comfortable bed and room on our final night of holidays. The kids loved the pool which was warmer than the ones at the resort in Cancun which we could not believe as we were in Seattle! The staff was friendly and we appreciated the cookies after a long flight when we were waiting to check inn. Just a nice touch! Shuttle was convenient and would definitely stay here again. Review #1:I reserved this room through an affiliate travel booking platform and got a great room rate. Aprox. 75.00 (not including taxes) for a full day stay. Late check in was effortless and was greeted with a warmed cookie. I think it is fair to mention it costs to use internet in your room but for business travlers I suppose that is an expected cost. Great friendly staff took the edge off our long day of intercontinental travel. I would choose this hotel again as our stop over. Review #2:We flew into SEA TAC for a few days before our cruise and our travel agent recommended this hotel. The hotel was clean, beds were fine, hotel is located across the street from the air port, was within walking distance to a Denny's, Jack in the Box, and a steak place. Room was ready very early in the morning for us. The kids liked the pool and I was able to do laundry before the cruise. It had easy access to the light rail located at the airport (we took the DT shuttle over), and was next to an Enterprise car rental. Lots of conveniences close by. Downtown Seattle was about a 30 minute ride by light rail service (cost of $16 for the 4 of us) or $40 cab ride to the pier. Hope this helps. Review #3:This is a large hotel and I expected it to be large and impersonal. On the contrary. It has \"small hotel\" service, meaning that you don't feel lost and they treat you well. Several fireplaces and seating areas in the lobby make it comfortable. I had a reservation for a \"mountain view\" room. Initially, I had a view of the airport. I asked for a different room and was given a much better view on the other side of the main section of the hotel. Very nice pool area although in cool, rainy Seattle I didn't get a chance to swim. The food was good although a bit pricey. The service in both the casual restaurant at breakfast and the dining room in the evening was efficient. Spacious room and very comfortable bedding. The room to which I was initially assigned had a broken lamp and a rip in the carpet. The second room was nicer. Looks like they are trying to keep up with on-going updating and maintenance. I stayed here four nights for a conference and was actually pleasantly surprised by the overall hotel experience. Lots of airline personnel stay here as well. And yes, we like the chocolate chip cookies at check-in. Review #4:I stayed here on November 7-8, 2004. When I read the previous reviews, I asked if my reservation was for a wing or a tower room. It was for a wing room but the reservation staff courteously changed it to a tower room. Access to the tower is by external glass elevators. My room was large, quiet and had a small balcony. There was a stain on the carpet but otherwise it was clean and well maintained. The room was equipped with a coffee maker, iron & ironing board and blow dryer and there were 2 sinks - one inside the bathroom and one outside. The room did not have a refrigerator or microwave; the high speed internet connection in the room cost about $10. There is no complimentary breakfast; there is a coffee shop and an espresso bar that also sells yogurt, bagels and pastries. The hotel has a complimentary airport shuttle that runs every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. I was attending a large conference held at the hotel. My co-workers with wing rooms said they were 'okay' and they heard some noise from neighboring rooms. The wing hallways had a damp smell. One wing building was closed for renovation. All staff were very courteous and helpful. For me the location worked well since I was attending events at the hotel and didn't have to rent a car to get there. If I had transportation and didn't have events at the hotel, I would look a few miles away for a better buy for the money. Review #5:We stayed at the Double Tree for two nights in July. The suite was spacious, clean, and quiet. Our room had two sinks,a flat screen TV, and two comfortable beds. Very conveinient for early morning flights. The hotel shuttle will drop you off at your destination as long as it's enroute to the airport. Overall,it was a very pleasant stay at a very nice property. I am very delighted that we stayed there!!!!!!!! ! Review #6:This is the best airport hotel we have stayed in, and we have stayed there twice. It has a convenient location and a shuttle service that runs every 15 minutes for 24 hours. We had a large room with a balcony, comfortable beds, an easy chair and ottoman, and a coffee maker - all things we don't always find. We ate supper in their restaurant and I had an excellent salad (large enough to divide) and an exceptionally good Reuben sandwich. There are also other choices, with several restaurants and fast food places within a very short walk. The staff was friendly and helpful and we enjoyed the warm, chocolate chip cookie we were given at check-in. Review #7:This hotel is the BEST at SeaTac! Valet parking was very quick and hassle free. Check In went very smooth, and we were upgraded to a very large suite at that time! The pool is very relaxing and big. Lounge is great! The rooms are very spacious and very nice. Beds are SO comfortable and the best sleep I have gotten at a hotel. Shuttle service is very quick and so great! They leave every 20 minutes on the hour. I have stayed at many hotels at the airport, and this one beats them all!!! Especially with the shuttle service. You can guarantee that we will be back soon, no doubt about it. Review #8:I had booked this hotel due to my previous terrific experience with a very nice room and bath. Upon arrival, I requested the same room as previously, if available. I was informed that entire floor was currently being re-furbished and there were no rooms of that quality available. He hoped re-furbishing would be complete in January. Interesting, as the beautiful room I stayed in previously was very new-gorgeous bath and soaking tub. I can't imagine those rooms would need refurbishing! I was then given another \"Hilton Honors\" room. I arrived to a room on the very ground floor that had a glass door that opened to the outside parking area. Due to security, I did not think this was a good idea for a single female traveler, however, I did not want to 'make waves' and request another room as I was only there for one night. Upon further inspection of the room, the older bathroom wood doors were dirty from years of use-these \"Hilton Honors\" rooms really need refurbishing. I had such a great experience the first time, I am disappointed-and-as a single female traveler, will never stay on the ground floor of any hotel again, if at all possible. Review #9:When you need a hotel near the Sea Tac Airport, stay at the Doubletree and ride their shuttle. The Drivers are very professional, courteous and make you feel like you are their only customer! If something might goes awry, the staff are quick to correct and aim to provide a memorable stay that makes you want to return. The quality of customer service should be an inservice for a number of their competitors. We have stayed at Hotels that are many times more expensive yet the staff are nowhere near as impressive as the Doubletree. The Wynn in Las Vegas should sign up for tutoring to learn how to treat customers. Perhaps then their vacancy rate would dwindle! Review #10:Stayed at this hotel beause the park n fly. Was an excellent choice, beautiful hotel and great beds made for a perfect start for vacation. Have stayed at cheaper hotels with park n fly and they are always scary! Pay the extra bucks for a top of line hotel with free cookies. Review #11:Despite the enormity of this hotel, it very much feels almost family run. The staff are exceptional and the quality without question. The hotel couldn't be better placed for flying out of Seattle. I won't hesitate to book here should my future travels involve a long leg from Seattle. Review #12:We stayed at this hotel for one night before starting our Princess landtour. The hotel reception had a lovely smell of freshly baked cookies which were given out at check in and were delicious. The room was spacious and had a coffee maker. There were 2 double beds and the mattresses were really comfortable. We had a lovely buffet breakfast in the restaurant and sat by the outdoor pool in the morning while we waited for our transfer to the airport. Review #13:My friend and I are both Hilton Honors members. We are currently staying here and prepaid for the room. What they didn't tell us when booking on the website is that the parking is $16 per night and the internet in the rooms is not wireless. On the incoming leg earlier, we stayed across the street at the Hampton for about the same price, wireless internet, free parking and free breakfast. Just doesn't make sense. Overall, the room is nice, but could have a refrigerator in it for the price. One thing I have learned about traveling is that to bring your own router just in case there isn't wireless. Especially when more than one person in the room has a computer. If I come back to Seattle, I'd go back to Hampton. Review #14:After reading the reviews here, my family was VERY disappointed with the hotel. First, the hotel is going through major renovations in the tower part of the hotel. We stayed in the village part of the hotel, which were found to be old and dark. The room was like staying in a basement, an old and mildew smell. The A/C put out hot air. We put the A/C on 60 and the room immediately heated the room up 89 degrees. I could not recommend this hotel. Review #15:We spent the night in this hotel our last evening in Seattle before an 8 a.m. flight. The area around the airport can be iffy, as in many large metropolitan areas. This hotel is clean, neat and offers good value for the money. We felt safe and secure with our small children. AND they have the famous Doubletree chocolate chip cookies! We were wiped out from a long day and wanted to stay in the room for the night and rest. We ordered clam chowder from the menu - much better than I expected - and finished off fruit from Pike Place Market. The hotel has seen its newer days: the carpets are threadbare in some spots and the cement balconies are noticeably empty of furniture. But the rooms are a great size, and we noticed large groups of flight attendants from various airlines staying there as well. The hotel employees were very polite and most efficient: we were on our way to our room within 30 seconds, warm cookies in hand. I went down to the lobby about 5:30 a.m. to print out our boarding passes, and a front desk employee came over to be sure everything was going well and I had what I needed - nice touch. Review #16:We flew into Seattle and arrived after midnight. After driving up and down International Bl. one time we decided on checking in at the Doubletree. All the other lodging options seemed to have dimly lit parking lots next to seedy businesses or something. It's an ok hotel by any other standards but nice compared to what's close by. Review #17:I booked a post-cruise package and the staff did not know how that worked. Hassle to get from ship to hotel, hassle to get correct rate, hassle with hotel safe (should have one in room anyway), and a hassle to get to the airport the next morning. They offer shuttle service (sporadically) and even though I was outside in plenty of time, at least 40 people showed up to try and get into a VAN. I took a taxi as everyone was trying to cram into the shuttle with no respect for first-come-first-served. Room service was good, however. Room was an \"upgrade\" but so far from the elevator. Would avoid this hotel in the future. Review #18:Physically, this is a very tired property. While renovations appear to be underway according to signs, the hotel infrastructure shows its age. Even where renovated, the hotel still needs work. My room, in the renovated tower, had very insufficient lighting and a bathroom that had seen better days. Provided amenities (e.g., soap, shampoo) were low quality. The tower elevators, which run on the exterior of the building, were quite cold. Staff wise, this hotel also needs renovation. Service in the more upscale of the two restaurants was almost unbearably slow and the food was cold when it finally arrived after over a hour at our table. Review #19:Decided to stay one night by the airport and used priceline to get a room and ended up with the doubletree at a good rate! The hotel is pretty big but the location next to the airport is great. I asked for a room in the tower and the room was spacious with a nice king bed and a balcony that overlooked the airport. The views of the airplanes taking off was great! There are a few restaurants around the hotel area and you can also easily walk to the airport should you want to. Review #20:this hotel was so comfortable. After commuting back and fort from florida if too tired to drive back to my destination i always stay at this dbl tree. I have never once had a bad nights sleep in these beds. I love the big warm cookies in the evening. They never seem to slap my hand if I grab 2 or 3...recommendation goes to this hotel over others! Review #21:We've stayed at the Doubletree Seatac four or five times in the past few years, and we've always enjoyed our visits. The hotel has a convenient airport shuttle that picks up guests on level 3 of the airport parking garage at stops #1 and 3. The shuttle runs 24 hours per day, and it makes about three trips per hour (no phone call or reservation is needed). If you don't want to wait, a good alternative is the nearby taxi stand; fare to the Doubletree should be less than $10 because of the hotel's proximity to the airport. On a recent trip, we landed at Seatac after midnight and were picked up within five minutes. The check-in process was courteous and smooth, and we were given a nice corner room with a balcony on the 9th floor (accompanied by the delicious chocolate chip cookies). Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed watching airplanes takeoff and land, and this hotel provides an eagle's eye view of the airport (unless you're on the east side of the tower, in which case you're stuck looking at the snowcapped Cascades and/or Mt Rainier). Despite its proximity to the airport, the room was surprisingly quiet. At 1am the lobby bar was still very active with a jovial but well-behaved crowd, although the bartenders were understandably ready to head home to their families. I was able to purchase a reasonably priced bottle of Oregon pinot noir for in-room consumption. The room was spacious, clean and well appointed. My wife really liked the Crabtree & Evelyn \"Citron\" toiletries; I liked the very comfortable bed and blackout curtains. Review #22:Spent 3 nights at conference at the hotel. The staff are wonderful! They are dedicated and helpful to your every need. Bed's in the room were the heavenly beds and I slept very well all 3 nights. Room was highly run down. Wall paper peeling off walls in different places, light bulb not replaced in room and carpet stained. Bathroom floors seems dirty and needed to be regrouted. Food was very expensive in restaurant and just okay. Burger, soda and tip $21.00. Save yourslf some money and eat off site. This is a hotel in the Hilton chain and I was disappointed.....:( Review #23:This hotel disappointed. As a Doubletree, I expected a GOOD three star property for my stay on August 27, 2004. What I found was rather run down and shabby. We were told we had a great view of the \"lake\" from our room. There was no lake visible. The bathroom was dirty and stained. Carpet was old as were the other furnishings. Coffee shop service was horrible. Waited forever to be seated and there were only 3 others in the place. Waitress never brought the items we requested and the order was askew. We had to go searching for our check to pay it. This Doubletree is very tired, and more like a 2 star property than a 3 star. It looks nice on the outside,, but inside it is very shabby and used. Review #24:This hotel was within a stone's throw of Sea-Tac airport and right next to the off-site Thrifty car rental lot, so for location, it was great. Unfortunately, there was nothing memorable about the hotel itself; it was a huge place, reminiscent of a rambling casino hotel (but without the lights or the casino), but just bland. The hotel restaurant was nice enough, but again, bland; the food was nicely presented but had no taste. The first night there I did not hear any airport noise, but the second night, I clearly heard the planes. I also used the business center, but the computers were slow and ran an old version of software; one printer worked but the other didn't. To sum up: Just nothing special, I'd rate this hotel as an average place. Review #25:We opted for the $5 requested upgrade for hhonours members, and the room was superb when we got it. At $65 plus the upgrade this was outstanding value, so much so we used it on our return journey too. Lovely spacious Doubletree, with gift shop and a very good restaurant inside it. Choice of food was excelent. Review #26:Stayed here after New Year's day and following day since we had tix to Seahawks game 01/02/11. We LIKED the fact that it was close to new rapid transit terminal which we chose to take to stadium. This plus we luv their complimentary cookies that they offer upon check-in. Yes, the hotel is large and somewhat dated - but the cleanliness and service is very goo d. My only blip was with a faulty magnetic door reader that prevented us from gaining access to our room. I had to trek all the way to the front-desk from out tower location (to have key re-coded) only to f ind it did not resolve issue. Frustrated - we called front desk - who called security - who called maintenance. They discovered faulty battery problem and reset. All of this resulted in out take-out food getting cold plus I lost my scarf somewhere along the way. Also, wished to have their shuttle drop us off @ transit terminal but we were told to wait - we decided to walk and it was rather cold. Saw shuttle pass us along the way ;-( Still, LIKE the location and the cookies ;-) Review #27:Across from Sea Tac Airport. Very big, spread out hotel with very reasonable rates and nice rooms, although some are a bit of a convoluted walk from reception. Lots of air crews use this hotel which has a frequent free shuttle to airport. We stay here and go to Seattle for Mariners games. The shuttle will drop you at the airport train station if you are going to Seattle, but on your way back you must walk from the station to the shuttle bus pick up area at the airport(about a 5 to 10 minute walk). Parking and some extras relatively expensive. We have stayed here a few times and keep coming back because it is good value for money. Review #28:Pros - Very close to airport, very quiet rooms (you cant hear the airplanes taking off even though it is right across from the airport), friendly staff, VERY comfortable beds with lots of pillows, large rooms, ice and vending machines close to all rooms, nicely appointed bathrooms, free shuttle (runs every 20 min, no reservation needed), convenience store on site, ATM, warm cookies on check in. Cons - Hotel is spread out so pay attention to how to get to your room as you may get lost, Feather pillows (synthetic available on request), Pay parking ($16 self/day $20 valet/day), warm cookies on check in. We have stayed at this hotel several times, and others in the area. It may cost a little more to stay here, but we feel it is worth it for the quiet rooms and the very comfortable beds. Review #29:OUR overall stay was great, would have been nice to have no feathered pillows , not having a MICROWAVE,REFRIDG not cool, they charge each day for a roll away bed they said they would accomumdate for up to five in one room stayed three days so used blankets on the floor for the two boys I requested four blanket but had to go down to argue after only getting one they charge for wi-fi in room, LOBBY FREE- charge for daily parking no continuial breakfast without charging all these should change I called on phone for the entertainment book checking in nope they dont take it close to many places to eat,bank and even small cascino the airport close yes somewhat noisy but hey what one is not only during day time night time very quiet staff quiet friendly HOUSEKEEPING WONDERFUL yes i would recommend this hotel to others it'sa nice place is great for summer as with pool only on outsde . Review #30:This is a good place to stay for a conference or if you need to stay for a night or two near the airport. The room was large and clean. I heard no noise from the airport, or elsewhere. The bed was VERY comfortable (a Serta mattress). This is a large property with (I believe) five buildings. Out the back of mine (#5) the deck looked out into a forest. The walk from that building to the lobby is about 2-3 minutes. Plenty of eating places nearby, and the bar in the hotel is fine also. You are charged for parking - $8/night for outdoor parking. Review #31:We spent one night here before flying out to Alaska. They have a good stay/fly program that we always use to leave our car there while on vacation. The room was clean and bed comfortable. My only complaint is that they charge for the use of wifi in your room. I can walk down to the lobby and get free wifi or use their computers for no charge. So why would I pay to use it in the room? ? Review #32:Very nice hotel, very close to the airport, walkable in fact to the terminals in less than 10 minutes or one can take a free shuttle bus. Check-in was friendly and quick, and one receives a nice warm chocolate chip cookie along with the room key. Large spacious lobby, clean comfortable rooms. Flat screen TV with many stations available. Internet available in the room for a fee or free wifi in lobby. There are also complimentary computers to use also. There is a stand alone kiosk which one may use to check in for flights. All major airlines are represented. Can not speak to the dining aspect of the hotel as I did not eat there. All in all, a nice place to stay before or after the flight. Review #33:I recently spent 4 nights here. The check-in was wonderful, the staff great, and the hotel itself was nice. The room service was horribly overpriced-- not only do they charge 18% more than listed price, the listed prices in the rooms are ALREADY higher than in the restaurant ($2 more on soups and $3-$8 more on entrees/burgers). And they add a $3 tip on top of the 18% (and then all the regular taxes are there, too). So a burger and soup were $32, and it was a very. VERY average burger. Total rip-off with the excess charges. I did not use daily housekeeping and was able to get what I needed when I saw them in the halls. And the women I met were very, very friendly and polite. But the bathroom was not so clean and it's a huge let-down for a hotel like this to be so neglected. I did email Rissa, who took a day and a half (and two emails) to respond to me. She said all the blahblahblah and offered to change rooms, but I was halfway through my stay and changing rooms is a pain. This was a business trip so I was not looking for compensation on the room. I thought she may care a bit more with the pics as proof, but I guess they hear complaints all day. I did make sure to include all the positive I had to say as well. The internet fees are a HUGE scam-- $12-$15 for 24 hours. There is no way that they aren't banking money here. Parking is another point of contention but I did not park so not really going worry about this one. Overall, if this were MY money, I would NOT stay here. With the $20 a night parking, internet fees, and insane food pricing I would expect a much more modern, bigger, and clean room. They don't even have microwaves or fridges in the rooms. Even most motels give you a microwave. Review #34:The DoubleTree was convenient to the airport, even though we were part of group travel, the DoubleTree had an airport shuttle. This is a multi story well thought out hotel. There were elevators, gift shop, restaurant and lots of other dining choices just across the street. You could safely cross the street at the light and crosswalk and find your self at a diner or several other restaurants. The hotel staff was courteous and very helpful with our questions. Our room was large and very comfortable. Even though we were there for just one night we would recommend this hotel for multiple night say if you are visiting the Seattle, WA area. We cannot comment on the value, as our price was included in our group travel, so Iwe're sure it was a group or discounted rate. Review #35:Stayed at this property for one night with my family ( wife and 4 and 7 yr old) before a morning flight. Used the park and fly package. Valet was quick and received help with bags. Check in was very quick and was assigned a two queen room in the tower. Room was typical for a double tree. Decent size with flat panel TV, and normal size bathroom. Had a room that faced away from the airport so that helped with the noise. Slept ok, but the room was quiet. Service was great and bell person got ice for us and was very helpful. Check out was quick. Shuttle bus goes every 18 minutes and we walked out the front door just as one was leaving. Was hoping it would stop but it kept going (empty at that). At that point we waited the 18 minutes with 10 other people and caught the next bus. Return to the hotel was fine. Bus driver called for our car but it wasn't ready when we arrived. waited a few more minutes for valet to bring car back. Be sure to have your receipt for parking from the front desk (i did thanks to previous posts) or you won't be able to get your car. All in all a good airport property. Just be advised, this is a big conference service type hotel and they have many groups that use it....might not always be a quiet hotel, but for our trip it worked out great. Review #36:We left our car for 5 days and stayed in this Doubletree Hotel on our return,our shuttle arrived promptly and we were given a Tower Room . It was a huge room with great bedding,sheet count & pillows. We were pretty late 9.54pm but managed to get a decent meal in the bar, I will happily come back to this doubletrees. Only one hiccup when we were collecting our car through their valet ,the valet asked pretty abruptly as we $5 tipped him if we had settled our parking fee. Unfortunately I hope front desk could have better communication. Review #37:This is a pretty rundown hotel. We did not choose it. Our travel agent booked the hotel through a cruise company as part of a package deal. It was about fifteen minutes away from town and very close to the airport. We knew we would have to pay for parking overnight but were unaware of a parking tax on top of the regular fee. The service at the hotel coffee shop was really slow and the waiter seemed really bothered by having to come to our table to see what we wanted. The soup was brought to us pretty cold, but he seemed to vanish so we couldn't complain. Even Denny's would probably have been better. Review #38:Received a great deal on this hotel by bidding on Priceline. I didn't have a car so Airport, Light Rail and many restaurants are in walking distance. They do have an airport shuttle. The staff were very accomodating and I loved the chocolate chip cookie at check in. My room was clean and nice but seemed motel like away from the tower. Maybe I got the cheap seats being a priceline customer. Anyway, I requested a non-smoking room but the floor smelled like the stench of smoke. At least my room didn't reak otherwise I would of tried to change rooms. I just wish the smokers had their own wing. Other than that issue, the hotel is nice and staff was great. Review #39:We've stayed in this hotel three times in the past 2 years and overall we've been very satisfied. The stay, park & fly packages are *usually* a good deal, and their airport shuttle service is fantastic - I believe it runs every 20 mins around the clock. Great for those early morning flights, and no worries about traffic jams as Seatac Airport is right across the street. Front desk service can be a bit hit or miss, but the location, shuttle service, and stress-free park & fly service wins out. The rooms are relatively spacious, our kids love the pool, and the breakfast buffet isn't a bad deal for what you get. Review #40:Very close to Seatac, we were tempted to walk there from the airport. In fact, the free shuttle probably spends more time driving back to the hotel than it would probably take to just walk back across the street. The hotel is clearly old but Hilton has gone to some lengths to make it feel more up-to-date. It's obviously clean, although the further you get into the maze of halls the more the funky smell of \"old\" permeates the air. We utilized the free airport shuttle, which is handy, but did not use any other hotel service. The room was fairly quiet when other guests weren't talking in the hall. The bed was quite comfortable and free of bed bugs. The neighborhood has mostly fast-food or 'greasy-spoon' joints except for a nice looking Thai restaurant across the street. We would certainly use this hotel again as our layover sleeping arrangement on our way to and from vacations. Review #41:We had the penthouse suite, 2 rooms with a kitchenette. The shuttle getting from the airport to the hotel was very croweded and hot (yes hot for Seattle) and smelled. We had planned to eat at the hotel restaurant but it was not open. So we had to order a pizza. Strange for such a large hotel not to have a restaurant or two. They told us to go across the street. They did have warm cookies at check-in. The room was done up in buttery soft yellows. The bathroom was huge. Larger then some hotel rooms I've stayed in. It had a sunken in tub, huge walk-in shower, robes & full line of Neutrogena beauty products. Two flat screen TV's-sitting room w/ leather sofa, tables and chairs. There was a huge wrap around balcony with a view of the glass elavators and a view of the Cascade Mts. The bed was so comfy I slept like a baby. The room was very sound prrof, as I did not hear anyone in the halls or other rooms. No b-fast was offered. The shuttle only runs on the hour, not every half an hour like you would assume from an airport hotel. So we almost missed our flight. By the time the shuttle was prepared to leave on the hour there were to many people to fit in the shuttle(they could have run there & back in that time ). The shuttle was hot and smelly again and people were mad. If you are not using the airport shuttle this hotel is great. Review #42:We ended up at this hotel as our flight home was cancelled. We stayed near the airport at the beginning of our trip and stayed at the Cedarbrook Lodge as it was rated no 1 on Trip Advisor. This hotel is on a par in terms of service and room quality. Considering over a hundred people turned up at the same time due to the cancelled flight the check in was very quick. The staff went around the lines of people handing out the essentials of shaving foam, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes and home made cookies as we didn't have our luggage which was checked into the cancelled flight. Room was enormous, with balcony and was spotlessly clean. Restaurant food was excellent and reasonably priced and breakfast was good. Shuttle service was very quick with plenty of buses on hand. The only issue we had was the size of the hotel with various wings that were difficult to navigate. A few more signs halfway down corridors would have helped. We got lost as did lots of people we met along the way! Don't let this put you off though. Review #43:This hotel embraces its role as an airport hotel and fufils its purpose very well. Staff are friendly and helpful, the rooms are decent, and it's very close to the airport. The airport shuttle runs round the clock (every twenty minutes) and is very efficient. The hotel's extended parking option provides great value. Review #44:This place is huge - felt like I was in Disneyworld!! This is an older hotel that has gone through a recent renovation. Overall I was quite pleased as we paid only $50 through Priceline. Unfortunately there was no wifi and the parking was $16 per night - expensive for the area. Review #45:We have stayed at this hotel several times in the family suite ( 2 bedrooms/1 king and 2 queen beds). Love the warm chocolate chips cookies and the service has always been outstanding. Excellent morning breakfasts and the airport shuttle runs every 15 minutes but we have made the 10 minute walk numerous times to the airport terminal. Review #46:We live about two hours and a ferry ride from the airport and always stay here when we have an early morning flight. We get the stay and jet package so we park for a week for only $30.00. It is somewhat dated but comfortable enough and the shuttle is very reliable. Review #47:We really liked the Doubletree Sea-Tac. We stayed here the last night of our trip to Seattle (got it on Priceline for $46 - not bad!). The bed was very nice, room was clean, we even had a balcony. It wasn't loud at all from the airport but was loud from the hallway (which didn't bother us since we left by 5 am). They were extremely convenient to the airport. The staff people were really helpful and nice. Plus you get a free cookie at check-in! :) The only complaint is - parking for overnight cost $16, and on top of that, we had $1.40 of tax!!! I can see paying parking for a downtown hotel - but for a hotel at Sea-Tac it seemed absurd to have to pay parking. Overall it was still a reasonable deal though. I would stay again. Review #48:Overall this is a good property. Parts of the hotel are laid-out such that it can be difficult to find your room. My co-workers and I joke about the Doubletree Maze at SEATAC. It takes a few trips to figure it out. The hotel is very close to the airport and sometimes we walk. The van in the morning can be very crowded so get in line early. The coffee bar in the lobby is great and opens at 5. The rooms are comfortable and the cookies are great but getting smaller. Review #49:We decided to stay here for three nights during our trip to Seattle. The checkin clerk was very friendly and said she would ensure we had a good view. We ended up on the 11th floor overlooking the airport and the Cascades. We had a balcony, the beds were super comfortable, room was a good size and clean. There are restaurants all around, plus two in the hotel. Shuttle to airport runs every 20 minutes. Great place and would definately stay again. Review #50:I've stayed at the Doubletree several times when I need to fly in and out of Seattle. It's a solid 3* hotel and good value. Pros: - cookies upon check-in - one of my favorite things about the Doubletrees - complimentary airport shuttle every 15 mins - nice pools, rooms are very comfortable with excellent beds and Neutrogena toiletries and Wolfgang Puck coffee - nice food selection in hotel Cons: - parking is expensive - $16/night. If you're just crashing for the night, the hotel has 1 night hotel plus x days parking that's not a bad deal - no breakfast - no free wireless in the room - it's a fee - don't remember what it was since I've never used it - HUGE complex - both a plus and a minus - if you get one of the far wing rooms, you have a long way to walk after check-in Overall, I think it's a great value, especially if you get a Priceline rate. The cons for me aren't a huge issue since I'm just overnighting it, but would be more significant for a prolonged stay. Review #51:We found the Doubletree to be good for what we needed- a place to stay when our plane arrived late and we didn't want to start driving anywhere until the next day. The airport shuttle was very good- better than other hotels I have stayed in. It seemed to ALWAYS be running, and was very convenient. We took the shuttle from the airport, and then back again to pick up our rental car (save the parking fee). The hotel was fine- a big hotel by the airport. I didn't expect much, but some things were better than average. The view we had was of some large trees and some people's backyards- better than the parking lot for us (but I wouldn't want to live there!). The cookies are, of course, one of our favorite things about the Doubletree chain. If I had been wanting to stay for more than one night, be close to anything interesting (other than the artificially created world of SEATAC), or wanted to get some business done, this would not have been the best hotel. But it is fine for what it is- a quick, convenient, comfortable stay by the airport. One thing to think about- this hotel is used by a lot of conventions. When we were there, there were a bunch of real estate agents who were getting a bit rowdy. We couldn't hear them in our room (thankfully), but they were pretty loud throughout the hotel. The hotel is big and busy, so it always feels like there is some commotion going on in the common areas. We did book directly on the Hilton chain website and got a rate of about $89. It looks from other reviews here like you may be able to do better on Priceline if you don't want your Hilton points. Review #52:I was put into this property by an airline due to a maintenance issue, although I checked in late at night and had to leave early the next morning, I saw enough that I want to return! The pool area, lobby and view from the balcony were very nice, not what I normally find when traveling and especially not this close to the airport! From reading others reviews I was not in the main towers, and only complaint was only being on the second floor someone was above me and from the sound they made walking must have weighed 400 pounds as it was very loud. Other than that, I was greeted very nicely and professionally at the desk by a staff member that had a very irate customer on the phone, in spite of him trying his best from the portion of the conversation I heard, he continued to handle himself in a professional manner, then when he place the caller on hold to assist me, was very courteous and professional. As others have mentioned as well, who's night is not made better when checking in and receiving a warm cookie? The room was nice, comfortable beds, good selection of pillows, nice TV channel selections (was no guide so I had to search for channels). The two sinks were nice (one in the bath portion and one by the closet) that would be a nice feature if traveling with your spouse or children. Also nice view of some trees out the balcony. While the wing I was in appeared to be older, you could tell they try to take care of it and it was very clean. Overall, a very nice surprise, I have read on here it is best to request a room in the main towers, if not I would definatly ask to be on the top floor. I have also found that requesting rooms at the end of the hall are quieter. I look forward to returning to this property with my wife and being able to spend more time in the city as well as what the doubletree has to offer! Review #53:Arrived late, they had given our room away. Diamond members get a small gift...it was three pieces of fruit on a stick and two pieces of cheese...can you say cheesy!! Cookies were good, as always. Went to breakfast and got some french toast. Then there was this set-up for the syrup which was under a sterno can and full flame, the syrup was boiling. It was so liquified that it spilled all over my hand and burned me terribly. If it wasn't for Pam the waitress quick actions and bringing me ice, I am sure it would have blistered terribly. I am grateful she was quick. Keep your children away from these set ups, they are going to injure someone terribly! Review #54:We arrived to the hotel July 23rd. late at night. I had called earlier in the day and was assured a roll-a-way was available for us. When we arrived we were told by the front desk the roll-a-way would be sent up immediately and would probably be there before we got up to the room. 90 minutes later we still did not have the bed. We had been told the bed would be sent at 12:00 midnight. At 1:00AM we were again told the bed would be sent right up. At 1:30 the manager on duty (Named Robert) introduced himself to my husband at the front desk. Robert immediately stepped in front of my husband and folded his arms and gave my husband many excuses why it was our fault we didn't have the bed yet. One excuse was that the hotel was full and they didn't have time to serve us as customers. I talked to the manager on the phone at 1:30AM and he was still full of excuses why we didn't have the bed. We were tired and against Trip Advisor's advice we went to the restaurant at the hotel for a late night snack. We ordered food and received ice cold food one hour later. The final straw was the morning we left. I noticed the statement was not under the door on the day we were leaving. When we did leave, there on the floor OUTSIDE our door was our statement with our name on it. Thank God our credit card number wasn't there. Review #55:Great location within view or shuttle ride from the airport. Princess has the contract for cruise passengers so you'll meet a lot of people coming and going on trips in the lobby or restaurant. Breakfast was delicious in the coffee shop, hot scones with jam and coffee. Other restaurants were withing walking distance of the hotel. There's a concierge desk which I found to be very helpful with questions. Free internet usage in the lobby too! I reserved off Priceline and got a great rate. Review #56:Bought our stay here on Priceline. Got a good deal $45 for the night. It is hard to find fault at that price, and I won't. But although the room was huge and lavish with two large queens, it was not a place I enjoyed. Our room was in the farthest section of the hotel, and tedious to get into to, and by the time we got settled it was too much trouble to go out to eat. No frig or microwaves in Doubletree hotels, too many pillows on the bed. The room had a large balcony overlooking a lake and on the 4th floor we were up in the trees. Despite the low rate, the receptionist tried to give us the type of room I wanted (high floor, one bed) and was very pleasant to me. A beautiful hotel for other types of travelers - groups, business people, etc. For those using the hotel to fly there are shuttles, flight info, and a kiosk to print out boarding passes (although it did not work for me). Just too too big for a one night stay, but a lovely hotel after all. Review #57:This hotel is a nice size and is convenient to the airport and restaurants. The fitness room is small but the bedrooms are standard. The staff was very helpful with all my business and pesonal needs. The hotel gave me 3 vouchers for $10 of any meal since I am a Hilton honors platinum members. That worked well for me since the food at the hotel is fairly pricey. Review #58:Don't expect a whole lot here. It is an average airport hotel. Confusing layout. Larger than normal rooms do make things more comfortable. The bathrooms are worn and need updating. The workout rooms are decent - especially the larger one in Building Five. Review #59:I sateyed here with husband and 1 year old son. One night we arrieved to find out patio door left wide open. We were on the first floor. There were also 2 cigarette butts on the small patio. Nothing was missing from our room but we were gone for over 10 hours that day and I do not know how long the door was open. The manager comped our parking ($17/day) but he was supposed to let us know who the last person to open our room door was and they never told us. This hotel is by a small lake and at dusk there are misquitos and misc. other bugs every where. I would not recommend this hotel. The only good thing about it was that i booked it on Priceline and got a really good price. Review #60:We stayed at this hotel as it was close to the airport for our early morning flight. Although there was a queue at check in the staff offered us warm cookies and appologised for the delay. We were given a free room upgrade (we are Hilton Honors members). The room was a bit basic and dated but it was inexpensive and we could leave our car in their car park while we were on holiday. Shuttle to the airport every 20 mins 24 hours. The restaurant also had good food (we were given a $10 per person coupon to use in the restaurant from the hotel). Friendy waiter/waitress staff. Review #61:If you are staying near the airport, it is a great hotel. Easy to reach, very clean and well-appointed rooms. I was surprised at how nice the rooms were! The bed was amazingly comfortable. It is an easy drive into downtown Seattle from here and worked great for my late-arriving flight before meetings in Seattle the following morning. The coffee bar in the lobby was handy, too! Review #62:The good: large room, food at the restaurants (especially the clam chowder), bed, view from the elevators, service, shuttle every 20 minutes to and from the airport (5 minutes away) The bad: the insulation for the windows is awful, so the hotel is extremely noisy at night (at least if you are facing the airport): airplanes, busy airport boulevard, rooftop with furnaces/chillers etc. No wireless in the rooms. Cheap toiletries, few towels. Review #63:We really won the gamble with this hotel. We booked through a discount website and were completely satisfied with our stay. (For the discounted price) The room was very large, faced the airport, but was still quiet. It even had a balcony! The beds were comfortable and the room was very clean. On check in, the warm chocolate chip cookies were a lovely touch. All the staff we interacted with were great. I noticed many airline crews stayed at this hotel also. Our room was in the main tower, and was reached by an external elevator with glass walls. Getting to the room was a fun adventure in itself. We explored the other areas of this large hotel complex and noticed some rooms were actually are on a small lake, and others overlook the attractive outdoor pool. There is an abundance of gardens in between the different buildings and all were very well maintained and tended. I can not say I slept well, but I think that was due to nerves and excitement about our pending vacation. I did find the beds comfortable, but very jiggly. Whenever my husband moved, I felt like we were on a boat in rough water. I was also woken by the cries of a baby in a nearby room. The most disturbing noises came not from the jet planes across the street, but from the hallway. They did a great job soundproofing the external walls, but the hall walls seemed a bit thin. There is a Jack in the Box and Denny's across the street as well as a Subway, Thai restaurant and a BBQ restaurant nearby. The shuttle service to the airport ran frequently and was very convenient. If traveling with children, there is oodles of space to set up a portable crib. The hotel felt nice enough for a romantic getaway and was a nice treat as a stop-over. The room also had Wi-Fi access - we even had Wi-Fi on the pool deck! Overall, a great stay. Review #64:We have stayed at the DoubleTree Seatac more than 15 times, love it. I suggest getting a room in the tower. Upgrade to King Corner Room or Penthouse to really treat yourself, balcony are amazing in these rooms. Service is outstanding, there nightclub is always fun and classy. Don't have to worry about drinking and driving, just a elevator ride to your room! Review #65:I arrived late at night and was flustered by the confusing and poorly lit parking options. I was staying at the hotel for under 8 hours and yet the clerk who checked me in was still encouraging me to pay for the valet parking. At my prompting he suggested the self-park behind the hotel but it was almost as expensive as the valet! The hotel room was fine, but I am not sure that this was worth it. I am a loyal Hilton customer and am glad to get the points but this hotel seems better-suited to guests staying for several days, not for someone who just wants a place to crash before an early flight. Review #66:I had a quick stay here last week for one night. The good news - the hotel is very close to the airport with a 24hr shuttle to the airport. My room and bathroom were both very clean and the service at the hotel was friendly, The check in process could be slow and it would be helpful if the airline crews were not given first priority to jump in front of everyone waiting. The not so good news - food at the hotel was OK. I believe there are better options in walking distance from the hotel. Review #67:Our family stayed at the Doubletree for one night before flying out to Miami for a Caribbean cruise. We parked our car there for a week, and were impressed with the service and rates compared with the airport. The rooms are a good size, which is a bonus for me as I was traveling with my husband and two large teenaged sons in one room. We spent a good portion of our early evening at the pool, which has an awesome setting. We had dinner in the attached restaurant, and the food was absolutely delicious. After a good nights sleep, the free shuttle to the airport saved us a lot of stress! We would definitely stay here again when flying out of Seattle! Review #68:I stayed here for a week in June, and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. For an airport hotel, it was surprisingly quiet, rooms were extremely comfortable and well prepared, and the staff were all extremely helpful and courteous. The only drawback was that the restaurant was a little on the pricey side for breakfast, but there are many places nearby to eat. A great hotel that I would happily stay again in. Review #69:I'm surprised at the negative reviews, I'm a regular Priceline customer, staying at the Doubletree usually once a month and have never had a bad experience. Granted it's a large hotel and I don't like hiking to a room in another zip code. I always ask for a room near the lobby and am always accomodated. The rooms in the wings are larger than those in the tower and if you get wings 2 or 3 closer than walking to the tower wing plus no elevator hassle. The rooms are always clean, the beds great, bedding and bath linens top notch. They recently have gone to flat sceen televisions throughout the place which was overdue but is greatly appreciated. I've always found staff friendly and every request granted. Airport pickup runs every 15 minutes. The cookies are a nice touch too. I'm always pleased when my Priceline bid results in the Doubletree Review #70:This room was one of the most comfortable rooms I've stayed at in a long time. Cushy bed, flat screen tv, great water pressure. Room was quiet and the shuttle to the airport runs 24 hours. I was there by myself and felt very safe. On the downside, I just recently tried to make a reservation for another night with my husband, and they want to charge $10 for the second person. (Yet they gave me two queens) Review #71:We stayed here for 1 night in August since we had an early flight the next morning. Check in was easy and the cookies were nice. Having the printer in the lobby to print your boarding pass was really convenient. The elevators for the tower are not close. We wanted to carry our own luggage and got tired of the bell hops asking if they could take it for us. They were not too thrilled when we wanted to borrow their cart. t was a very long walk to get to the room. The room itself was nice but not for $200.00 per night. The inner hall was quiet but there was a lot of traffic noise from the outside. The bed was comfortable but between the noise of the traffic ( not the jets) and the room fan, we did not sleep well. There was mildew in the bathroom-cleanliness was fair. The shuttle to the airport was very nice and had bottled water. We would not stay here again because of the noise and mildew. Review #72:We took a Park'n'Fly package which allows us to stay 1 night and park our vehicle for up to 7 days. This was right by the SeaTac Airport, whereby they had a shuttle that would come every 20 mins, and the valet would park the vehicle while we off traveling. The Front staff were friendly and efficient in getting us checked in and taken care of. Even got free cookies - wasn't expecting that. The building has unique architecture which can prove to be challenging for some to find their rooms. Use the map the front desk provide and you will have no issues. Our room was nice and clean and on the back side (away from street traffic), plus only heard planes when we has the sliding door opened. We didn't have a chance to use the pool, although enticing. We were able to grab a quick bite and coffee at the convenience Starbucks in the lobby on our way out to our flight. We would gladly stay here again! Review #73:Before departing to New York, we stopped overnight in Seattle and stayed at this hotel after scoring a great deal from Priceline. The hotel is huge and they give you warm cookies once you check-in. The design of the hotel is a little maze-like but still beautiful and the pool definitely makes you feel like you're somewhere else rather than beside the Sea-Tac Airport. Beds are comfy, showers are great - the floors are marble which made going to the bathroom a little painful on the feet (COLD FLOORS!). The only downside is that the lady at the front desk gave us the weirdest directions to get to our hotel room. We ended up going outside, and around and got lost when we found out later that we could have just gone around the corner from the check-in desk. We loved that they were playing the Canucks game in the restaurant/bar, too! The airport shuttle service was great, friendly and on-time. Staff is very courteous and friendly. Review #74:I've stayed here a couple of times. The chocolate chip cookies are always a treat. The rooms are clean and nicely appointed. I used the computer in the lobby to print my boarding pass. The shuttle is convenient and reliable. It is on a busy street and I didn't see a restaurant within walking distance so I ate in the lobby. It was fine. Review #75:Hotel is very close the the airport and room was comfortable. Had a huge mirror in the bathroom that was well light around the edges. Wolfgang Puck coffee was available for the in room coffee maker, My room was in the tower on the 8th floor and had a balcony. Parking was expensive but if you don't mind walking across the street there is a parking garage (Wally Park) that if you park on the roof it's $12.95 + tax. If you have a AAA membership they will give you 25% off. That's where I parked. Review #76:As prior reviewers state, great place to stay the night before a flight. Stayed with my teenage son. Wonderfully quiet, considering the airport is literally across the street. Rooms large and comfortable. But still charging for the internet!! (and no in room wireless). It may be a profit center, but when Best Western gives free internet, it is time to change the policy. Also, charge for parking for overnight quests leaves a sour taste. I understand charging when leaving the car consecutive days when not using the hotel, but there shouldn't be a charge at a suburban hotel for guests for one night. Review #77:On a recent US trip we probably stayed in about 10 hotels and this one wouldn't rank in the top 20! This is a very large and confusingly laid out hotel. When we found our room we discovered that the bathroom hadn't been cleaned and there were dirty towels lying around. We advised reception who promised immediate action. When we returned about 10 hours later nothing had been done. We were offered a change of room and the assistance of a three man team to move. We began loading our luggage ourselves and when no-one arrived I headed to reception to be greeted by one man with our new room key. He made no offer to assist. No facilities were open early next morning when we were headed for our flight (surprising in such a location where there were lots of people headed for early flights) and although there seem to be a lot of valet staff around, none of them made any effort to assist. We had decided to go with this hotel to save a small amount of money and as a change from the Cedarbrook lodge we had stayed in a couple of weeks before. Big mistake. On the basis of this experience I will never choose a Doubletree hotel again. It is just not worth the money. Review #78:We stayed 3 days at the Doubletree Hotel in July 2006. The front desk staff were grouchy, uninterested and not pleasant to deal with. We experienced this poor attitude with a few other staff members within the hotel. We were quite surprised as this was the only hotel during our two week Washington State vacation that did not provide a fantastic experience. Too bad considering the hotel facilities are lovely and the rooms are comfortable and spacious. I would not stay at a Doubletree Hotel again. It must be an unhappy place to work because it sure comes through to the customer. Spend your money at a hotel that does not see guests as interruptions in their day. Review #79:After a miserable day at Sea-Tac, we thought the Doubletree would be heaven. Well, not quite. The hotel is divided into different wings. The crappy wings are old and the rooms smell musty. The decor and bathroom are straight from the 70's!! ( Liekthe Brady bunch!). Rooms are not particularly posh or large. Ours was kind of dingy, definitely in need of a remodeling. My wife and I stayed only 1 night before flying out of Sea-Tac the next morning. Hotel was fine for our purposes, but I wouldn't have wanted a longer stay there. Beds were very comfortble . Free internet access in the lobby only and open 24 hrs. . Pool and whirlpool were nice, but would prefer 24 hr. access like health club. Room service was typically expensive . We ate at both the lounge and the cafe and food was average at best, but the service VERY GOOD! (Eben the bus boy made sure we were served well) The front desk staff was also very good! The exterior of the buildings in these wings looks like some outdated Polynesian tiki architecture. The room room's AC was working fine and it was pretty quite. No airplane or traffic sounds. The free airport shuttle runs every 15 mins or so and really helped us catch our flight the next morning. So overall you get what you pay for. I got a good night sleep. Review #80:We just returned from a stay at the Doubletree Seattle Airport on both sides of our trip to Mexico and where nothing but pleased. We purchased the Park and Fly Package and were very happy to discover that this package included valet parking for our car directly out front of the hotel, not off in a back parking lot or at an off site location like many other hotels. The rooms were very spacious, modern and clean. The shuttle was an extremely convenient as well. I would highly recommend the Doubletree and plan on staying here again on our next trip. Review #81:Like many before us, we stayed here before heading out to somewhere else the next day. The check-in was a bit slow, but when our turn came, I could understood why because the desk staff was incredibly friendly and determined to answer all of our questions--she was a very nice person. In fact every staff member that we encountered here was friendly. We had a double queen room in the tower, looking out towards the mountains. The room was quiet, very comfy beds and we enjoyed the view from the 10th floor; the room and hallways could use an update, but are perfectly adequate. The tower rooms do have balconies but the space is shared with the room next door and divided by a set of austere looking bars--plus there is no furniture to sit on so the balconies are not really functional. I am told there are good Thai and BBQ restaurants within walking distance across the street. We tried the hotel restaurants and the food was quite good. Hotel pool is outside, heated to a nice temp and there is a hot tub nearby with a nice seating area all around. Self-parking is $19. Internet is free if you have HH Gold and works well. All in all a fine stay. Review #82:I stayed one night at this hotel, as we were flying out early the next morning. The hotel is conveniently located, just across the street from the airport entrance with a free shuttle that runs every 20 minutes. I was disappointed to learn there was a fee for parking ($16+tax), a fee for Internet ($5 for one hour), no simple breakfast included. When we tried to leave, our paid parking pass wouldn't register to let us out of the parking lot, and there were no attendants handy, so we were late returning our rental car :( -- I'm thankful we didn't get dinged on that. The hotel was nice; good clean rooms. Our room was connected to the main lobby by a skyway; we were in building 5 -- it wasn't very close. On the plus side, we got warm cookies upon check-in. The diner next door was good -- I think it's 'Dave's Diner'. Overall, it was a nice hotel, if you are prepared to pay for it. Review #83:My husband and I stayed here for one night before a cruise. This is a huge hotel. Clean rooms, comfortable bed. If you use their free airport shuttle service, make sure you get on the right shuttle from the airport because there is another Double Tree with a separate shuttle. Review #84:Stayed for one night before catching a flight out of Sea-tac Airport. Booked thru hotwire and got such a great price ($69) we were worried what we'd be getting.... We were very pleasantly suprised!! We were greeted by very nice front desk staff and were given the Doubletree warm welcome cookies...what a nice touch! The room was very clean, cozy and very quiet even though it was so close to the airport. The hotel it's self was huge, but yet it still felt very comfortable. It has that \"west-coast\" feel to it with lots of wood and glimpses of green forrest outside. The beds were amazing. The restaurant was quite good considering it's not \"downtown\". The food was decent as was the wine selection. We will definately stay here again. Review #85:We needed a hotel near the airport for just one night, and selected the Doubletree. It was a great decision. Our plane landed at noon, and when I called about an early check-in there was no problem. In spite of the fact that a large convention was concluding and check-out time was not until noon, they had our room ready and waiting. The room was spacious with a comfortable bed and a large selection of various pillows. There was a good TV, and nice bathroom with thick towels and plenty of hot water. Every room seemed to have a balcony. Our balcony looked over the pool enhanced with mature Pacific Northwest landscape. We loved the decor of the hotel. It was very suitable to the geography, and we did not have that feeling that we were just in any big hotel in any big city. We were especially impressed with the staff at the hotel. Our check-in and check-out were accomplished efficiently by pleasant and personable people. You absolutely cannot beat a Doubletree chocolate chip cookie as a welcome treat. My only complaint about this hotel was the charge for parking. I thought it was a little expensive for a hotel not located in the center of the city to charge $15 per day to park a car. Nonetheless, we will certainly stay at this hotel when we return to Seattle again. Review #86:I was very pleased with my stay at this hotel. The room we stayed in was beautiful! Newer furniture, very comfortable bed with nice linens, two large sink areas and super clean. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the spa/pool area and they have a nice lounge with free internet access terminals. Free shuttle to the airport got us to the terminal in about 3 minutes! If you are looking for a place to stay near the airport - this is a great one! Review #87:Located within a few miles of Sea-Tac this is a very large hotel with a Starbucks, gift shop, meeting rooms, breakfast room, bar and dining room. The food was a little expensive-$13 for a burger and $12 for an omelette alone. However it was good enough. I had a spacious and clean suite with fridge, microwave, nice sized table and a comfortable bed. I loved that the heating system was quiet. I had plently of outlets, but my suite on the 12th floor had recently been remodeled. The walk out balcony was a nice surprise. It has a main tower, which is the best place to stay as you are close to everything, as well as several wings. From the wings it was a bit of a hike to the restaurants and front desk. Nice pool and fitness areas. Parking is expensive at $25 for valet and $21.50 for self-park per night. Free shuttle to and from airport helps. Verify internet price-not free. Good jumping off spot for wherever you want to go. Review #88:We stayed at this hotel one night before an Alaska cruise. We arrived very late, were greeted at the desk by a friendly employee who handed us a warm chocolate chip cookie to munch on while we were waiting for our room key. The breakfast in the restaurant was amazing, and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The room was very clean and comfortable. The gift shop was well stocked and very reasonably priced. We would highly recommend this hotel for before and after cruising because it is minutes from the airport and is lovely. Review #89:Well appointed, clean, convenient to airport and travels south of Seattle However, we were not informed by Priceline when we made resesrvations that hotel guests are charged $16/day +tax of $1.52 to park in the HUGE hotel parking lot. To add insult to injury, for people who use the parking lot to \"park and fly\", the charge is $7.95/day, almost half of what the hotel guests are charged!! What a rip-off! ! Review #90:Stayed one night here after coming in late, before leaving the next morning. Used points, so I don't know the regular room rate. Overall, it was OK - decent room, nice staff, convenient to airport. but had some issues too. Details... GOOD: --Rooms, in the tower where we stayed, are pretty decent. Plenty big, nicely kept bathrooms, bed was fairly comfy. --Rooms have a small deck, but the view is of the airport - nothing spectacular. --Staff was friendly, both at the desk and in the restaurant. --Location is very convenient to the airport, and pretty quick access to I-5. --Cookies at check in were good. ;) BAD: --YOU HAVE TO PAY TO PARK HERE. This is a pet peave of mine - if you aren't in the middle of Manhattan or the Loop or somewhere that its ultra-crowded, there is NO good reason to have to pay for parking. This place had a gigantic parking lot. I think parking cost $12 or so. Ripoff. --Restaurant staff seemed to be overwhelmed during breakfast, so they fell behind a bit. Food was good, but a bit overpriced. --The doubletree is not just a hotel, its like a little village of condo buildings too, which makes it very crowded and hard to get around the property. --Common areas could be kept up better and cleaner. --The doors to the rooms have a huge gap at the bottom - allows a lot of light and sound in from the hallway. If you are coming late and/or leaving early at Sea-Tac, this is not a bad choice. But you may want to consider other places as well, shop around a bit. Review #91:Love that the hotel provided a shuttle from the airport to the hotel, every 15-20mins. The Hotel was clean, great staff, was greeted with hot fresh cookies at the check-in counter. My daughter, 5yrs old, loved it! My husband was hoping there was an indoor pool, but the pool was warm, and the hot tub was awesome. Pool hours was morning until 11pm. If you don't want to eat breakfast at the hotel, there is a Denny's across the street and an IHOP 2mile down the street. Buses are available for $2.00 and the Rail is $5.00 round trip to WestLake, Seattle, and back to the SeaTac. Love riding the Rail from SeaTac to downtown and the Monorial is $2.00 to the Space Needle. ($4.00 roundtrip). I didn't rent a car, so didn't have the worries of paying a parking fee at the hotel. No need for a car, I got around just fine on the busses and the Rail. My room was very easy to find, but I know others had some difficulties finding their rooms. Maxi's, is a club to the top of the hotel. Heard it was great, but didn't check it out, as we had our daughter with us. Enjoyed they had computers available, and a printer so you can print out your boarding pass. Even though the hotel was close to the airport, you couldn't haer the planes taking off, it was quiet and very relaxing. Slept like a baby...very comfortable beds. Will stay there again in the future. Review #92:We have stayed at several Seatac airport hotels, all acceptable. This trip we needed a quick access to the airport with wheelchair accessibility and this was it. After this stay we will only stay here in the future when at Seatac. They not only are wheelchair accessible, but have an ADA van and very courteous staff that doesn't act put-out at having to help disabled guests. The hotel itself is very nice, we were given a very recently updated room in the tower. The restaurant and bar restaurant are better than average and again great staff. My husband was quite happy with the clam chowder he ordered at the bar after a late night arrival, and that's saying something! The beds were very comfortable, room large enough for wheelchair, and bathroom clean. All good! Review #93:This property is a mess. It is laid out in wings that make carrying your bags a nightmare, up elevators and down again. When you finally reach your room the heaters all make tremendous noise, rattle, rumble. I changed rooms six times before deciding that all the wings were the same with traffic noise, heater noise, and all the hiking and dragging bags from room to room. I asked for a room in their Tower, but was told that Priceline customers had to pay a ten dollar a night premium, which I GLADLY paid. But the nightmare wasn't over, then it took three more tries to get a room with a non-rattling heater and sliding doors that sealed and did not let the traffic noise in. It's NO three star hotel at all. Priceline should be ASHAMED of rating it up with the Hilton SEATAC, where I was placed on the first night. The Hilton is a great hotel, but the Doubletree is purely a nightmare. Review #94:We stayed one night here before our flight home and I wish we had stayed here longer! What a great place. Warm cookies when you arrive. The parking situation was a bit weird - we had a rental we needed to return and we were given 20 free minutes to unload and get the car out, but the rental return was next door, whcih was nice. The rooms were gorgeous and spacious and comfortable. For $5 we got an upgrade to a family suite - which has 2 connecting rooms, 2 sinks AND a full bath. You cannot beat this for families. The pool was huge and gorgeous. This was cheaper than the hotel we stayed at downtown and I think in the future I would look for places like this outside the city and get a rental car to drive into the city. Review #95:This was a great hotel. Close to the airport. They provided a shuttle if you do not have a car. The rooms were very clean and the staff was very nice. The swimming pool looked nice but we didn't get the chance to swim. We had dinner in the bar area. It was good and the staff was attentive. Check in and check out was easy and fast. It was a long ackward walk to our room. You go up stairs, down the elevator and thorugh doors. Odd but we made it. Surprisingly since this was close to the airport, we weren't woken up by any airplanes. Review #96:Expecting the Doubletree name to be better quality. The room was okay, but not as clean as one would expect. And then the real zinger was the unexpected additional parking charge! Our room was reserved well in advance, with no mention of a parking fee for their guests! Shame on you Doubletree for charging your own guests to pay to park on your site during their stay. I will not stay in a Doubletree again. Review #97:We stayed here for a couple of nights at the start of our US vacation. We had a large room very clean and well furnished. Breakfast was good and the staff were very helpful. Hotel shuttle picked us up at the airport and took us to the light rail station to go into Seattle the next day. It wasn't noisy at all as you might expect being so close to the runways. Review #98:Stayed in the high-rise portion. Room was spacious and clean. Nice size bath. Ate at on-site bar/restaurant which was good. Staff asked family with small child to move to restaurant portion which was the right thing to do. Lobby has PC with printer to check in to airline and print boarding pass. Printer didn't work but able to check in for flight. Complimentary shuttle nice although couldn't fit everyone on a Sunday mid-AM! Review #99:I stayed in this hotel for 1 day, as a side trip from Vancouver. Yes it is a bit far from downtown, but very close to the airport. The hotel interior itself is a bit outdated, but the room we stayed in (in the tower) was very pleasant, relaxing and modern. I absolutely loved the warm cookies we were given at check in and the beds in our room were so incredibly soft. I actually miss the beds! The hotel staff was friendly and accomodating. I will definitely stay here again when I visit Seattle.", "source": "review_summ", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Overall, how are guests reacting to their stay at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?", "Can you present a summary of guest feedback on the service at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?", "How do guests rate the rooms at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?", "How convenient do guests find the location of Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?", "What are the guests' comments about the cleanliness at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?", "How do customers rate the food and dining experience at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan?"], "outputs": ["Hotel staff were all wonderfully accommodating and friendly. The entire hotel was very clean and the rooms even smell \"fresh\". The rooms were large, with large beds, and modern, essential amenities that made it feel cozy. The swim-up pool bar has great, grilled food and reasonably priced drinks; and the continental breakfast was plentiful. (There are not enough reviews available to mention the location.) The staff was helpful and friendly, recommending many places to eat. The entire property is very clean, and the room was clean and comfy. The rooms are large, with comfortable beds, and plenty of amenities. The breakfast was plentiful and great, as was the food at the swim-up bar and grill. The location is excellent, close to the airport, but the pool was a bit small, and loud from the planes. It has free WiFi, and overall the hotel is an incredible value. The staff was very professional and helpful to us. The hotel was very clean and well kept. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. There is a continental breakfast buffet included is great and there is a swim-up bar and grill which has very good food, too. The location is excellent but the Pool was a bit loud from the planes as it is near the airport.", "The staff and desk personnel were very friendly, polite, and helpful. The staff are great with restaurant recommendations. The staff everywhere, from the front desk, to service, to the bar/grill were all polite, accommodating, and professional. The staff was very professional friendly and helpful. Staff made sure the rooms were clean and the customer service was great.", "The room was lovely and was air conditioned and had a TV with cable. It was was spacious, clean comfortable, but a little worn. The bathroom was ok, but the bathtub was a bit small. The bedroom is big, lovely, & mostly clean. Some small black hairs were found on a bed. However, the bed is super comfortable with nice linens. The rooms have a very good size TV with cable. The bathroom was fine, but the bathtub was a bit small. The rooms were a little worn and torn, but comfortable and spacious with cozy beds and a clean, large bathroom. Amenities included cable TV and anything else needed for survival away from home.", "This hotel has a prime location in the Isla Verde district. It is within walking distance of the beach Hotels that have casinos. The location is also close to shopping, restaurants and the airport. The beaches, casinos, and restaurants were all within walking distance. It was also safe. The hotel is in an excellent location, the Isla Verde tourist district. It's conveniently adjacent to the airport. There are plenty of restaurants, casinos, shopping, and beaches within walking distance.", "The entire hotel property was very clean and well kept, including the rooms and the pool area. The rooms smell very fresh upon arrival. The bedding was also clean. The hotel and rooms were very tidy and smelled fresh. The bedding was clean also. The hotel, the pool, and the bar were all clean. The rooms themselves were well kept and comfortable. There was also fresh bedding. Plus, no bad smells.", "The plentiful breakfast buffet was good,with great pool food at the swim-up bar and grill as well. Overall the food is outstanding and the drinks were reasonably priced. The hotel has a continental breakfast buffet that is extensive. There is a swim-up bar and grill which has very good food the drinks were reasonably priced as well! Great breakfast buffet and pool food from the grill downstairs. Overall the food and drinks are reasonably priced ."], "gpt4_outputs": ["Guests at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan generally found the service to be friendly and efficient. Rooms were rated highly, with comfortable beds and clean facilities. The location was seen as convenient, with easy access to the airport and other amenities. Cleanliness was praised by many guests, who appreciated the well-maintained rooms. The food and dining experience was considered good, with some guests enjoying the breakfast and restaurant options.", "Guests of Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan have praised the hotel for its clean and comfortable rooms, friendly and helpful staff, and convenient location. The hotel's complimentary breakfast, pool area, and on-site grill have also received positive feedback. Some guests did report issues with noise from the nearby airport, particularly when using the pool and hot tub, but overall, the hotel has been well-reviewed and is considered a good value for the area.", "Guests rate the rooms at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan highly, praising the comfortable beds, clean bathrooms, and ample space. They appreciate the friendly and helpful front-desk staff, the attractive lobby, and the top-notch breakfast offered. The hotel's pool and hot tub are popular features, as is the swim-up bar with its good food options. The hotel's location is convenient, with easy access to the airport, beach, and nearby restaurants. However, some guests mention the noise from airplanes when using the pool area. Overall, the Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan receives positive reviews and is considered a good value for its price.", "Guests generally find the location of Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan to be convenient. The hotel is close to the airport and within walking distance to the beach, restaurants, casinos, and shops. Guests also appreciate the free breakfast, clean and comfortable rooms, and friendly staff. However, some guests have mentioned the noise from airplanes due to the hotel's proximity to the airport can be bothersome, especially when using the pool and hot tub.", "Guests at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan generally found the service to be friendly and efficient. Rooms were rated highly, with comfortable beds and clean facilities. The location was seen as convenient, with easy access to the airport and other amenities. Cleanliness was praised by many guests, who appreciated the well-maintained rooms. The food and dining experience was considered good, with some guests enjoying the breakfast and restaurant options.", "Customers generally rate the food and dining experience at Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan positively. The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast with a good variety of options, and many guests enjoy the poolside bar and grill, which serves burgers, grilled chicken, and other meals. The hotel is also located within walking distance of several restaurants and bars, offering a range of dining options for guests. Some customers have mentioned the convenience of having a Walgreens and grocery store nearby for additional food choices. Overall, the hotel's dining options and location make it a good choice for travelers looking for a comfortable and convenient stay in San Juan."], "claude_outputs": ["Based on the reviews, guests seem to have a mix of positive and negative experiences staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites San Juan:\nThe positives:\n\u2022 The staff is generally friendly, helpful, and accommodating. Several reviews mention specific staff members by name for going above and beyond.\n\u2022 The lobby and public areas are attractive and well-maintained.\n\u2022 The pool area and facilities are nice, including the poolside bar and grill. Guests enjoyed the food and drinks available.\n\u2022 The hotel is in a convenient location, close to the airport, restaurants, shops, and the beach. It's an easy place to stay before or after a cruise.\n\u2022 The included breakfast is often praised for being comprehensive with many options.\n\nThe negatives:\n\u2022 Many guests complain that the hotel rooms themselves are not as clean or well-maintained as expected, especially the bathrooms. Mold, mildew, and stains were commonly mentioned issues.\n\u2022 Several reviews mention the noise from nearby airplanes, especially when outside by the pool. The planes taking off can be quite loud and disruptive.\n\u2022 The price is considered high by some guests, given the issues with cleanliness and noise. Other hotels in better locations are recommended instead.\n\u2022 Housekeeping services like towel replacement and trash removal were inconsistent for some guests.\n\nSo in summary, while guests appreciate the helpful staff, location, and amenities, many feel the hotel rooms themselves - particularly the cleanliness - do not match the price point. The airplane noise is also a detraction for some. Overall, it seems like a decent option for an inexpensive place to stay near the airport, but there are better values to be had for longer vacations.", "Overall, guests were satisfied with the hotel's friendly and helpful staff, clean and comfortable rooms, and convenient location close to the airport and beaches. The free breakfast and amenities like the pool were also appreciated.\nHowever, some guests complained about the old and worn condition of the rooms, especially the bathrooms and tiles. Some mentioned that the rooms were not as clean as they expected. Airplane noise from the nearby airport was also mentioned, though most said it was not an issue inside the rooms.\nIn summary, while the hotel has friendly staff and good location, some guests were disappointed by the condition and cleanliness of the rooms, especially for the price. Guests who wanted a longer stay recommended staying in Old San Juan instead.", "Overall, guests were satisfied with the cleanliness, comfort, and amenities of the rooms. The beds were praised as being comfortable, the flat screen TVs were appreciated, and free WiFi was provided. The suites were spacious enough for families.\nHowever, several guests mentioned that the rooms were worn, showing signs of aging like water stains, damaged furniture, mildew in the bathrooms, and dirty and stained sheets. Some complained about inadequate housekeeping, especially failing to replace washcloths and change sheets during longer stays.\nWhile the location was convenient, guests mentioned issues with airport noise disturbing rooms by the pool, though the noise was not an issue inside the rooms.\nIn summary, while many guests found the rooms clean, comfortable, and adequately furnished, several mentioned that the rooms showed signs of wear and aging, with some complaints about insufficient housekeeping. The noise from the nearby airport was also an issue for some. Overall, most guests appreciated the basics provided in the rooms but felt they were not quite up to standard for the price.", "Pros:\nThe hotel location was convenient, close to the airport and cruise port\nThe staff was friendly and helpful\nThe breakfast selection was good\nThe lobby and public areas were clean and well maintained\nThe pool area was nice\nThe business center had updated computers and free printing\nThe airplane noise was not an issue in the rooms\nCons:\nThe hotel rooms themselves were not clean. The guest mentioned musty odor, mold in the tiles, and unclean wet bar area in the suite.\nThe hotel bathrooms were also not clean according to the guest's expectations.\nThe beach across from the hotel was not very impressive.\nOverall, the guest was disappointed with the hotel rooms and cleanliness, which they felt was the most important part of the stay, and would not stay there again. The guest recommended staying in Old San Juan instead for a pre-cruise stay.\n\nSo in summary, while the hotel location, staff and public areas were positives, the guest had major issues with the hotel room conditions and cleanliness, which significantly impacted their overall experience.", "\u2022 Several reviews mentioned that the rooms were clean and well maintained.\n\u2022 However, some reviews complained about unclean rooms, musty odors, stained sheets, black hairs on beds, lack of clean towels, mildew in bathtubs, and mold in bathroom tiles.\n\u2022 The pool area was generally described as clean, though some reviews mentioned that the lounge chairs could be cleaner.\n\u2022 The hotel lobby and common areas were mostly described as clean and well maintained.\n\u2022 The overall impression is that while some parts of the hotel like the lobby and pool are kept clean, the housekeeping of the rooms is inconsistent and some guests encountered unclean rooms during their stay.\n\nIn summary, most aspects of the hotel seem adequately clean, but there are enough complaints about unclean rooms to indicate that the cleanliness of the rooms could be improved in a more consistent manner.", "\u2022 The free continental breakfast was generally described as acceptable, sufficient or better than average for a Hampton Inn. Some reviews mentioned a good selection of hot and cold options, including eggs, waffles, cereals, fruits and coffees. However, a few reviews complained about lack of variety, sour fruits and dry eggs.\n\u2022 The poolside bar and grill received mostly positive reviews. Customers praised the good food, tasty burgers and reasonably priced drinks. The hamburgers were described as some of the best by several reviewers. However, a few reviews mentioned the bar running out of certain items or the food taking a long time.\n\u2022 The kitchen and bathroom areas in some suites were described as unclean.\n\u2022 Some reviews mentioned that the cafeteria or food area closed relatively early at around 9 pm, which was disappointing.\n\u2022 In summary, while the free continental breakfast is acceptable and the poolside bar and grill offer good food options, there are enough complaints about lack of variety, unclean areas and early closing times to indicate room for improvement in the dining experience. The food, however, especially the burgers, earned many positive comments and accolades from customers."], "input": "Review #0:While planning our trip to Puerto Rico, I was shocked by how expensive most of the \"nice\" hotels were, even in low season (we went first week of April). This hotel lured me to book with it with its relatively lower price, nice photos, and good reviews. It turns out that the hotel IS pretty great. The front-desk staff was pleasant and helpful (we had to store our luggage with them for a day after checking out and there were no problems), the lobby was gorgeous, the breakfast was top notch (and free! ), and our room was perfect, with silky smooth bedsheets, a clean bathroom, and ample space. The only problem is when you step outside to use the pool and hottub - the swim-up bar is cute and the hamburger fare offered there is good (albeit a bit too salty), but every ten minutes it sounded like an airplane was about to crash-land on your head. I could not believe how noisy it was, and I've lived near LGA airport all my life. It was literally like the planes were landing next door (and I guess they sort of were). Fortunately, the hotel itself is well insulated, so the noise doesn't affect you at all when you're inside. If it weren't for the noisy pool, the hotel would be an easy A+ (and probably cost a lot more). As it is, I give it an A-. Review #1:My husband and I flew down to San Juan for our friends' wedding this past weekend. Since we knew we couldn't make this trip any sort of vacation, and to call it a getaway was pushing it, we wanted to stay somewhere clean, comfortable and efficient. We got that and so much more! The location was perfect. It's right across the street from the El San Juan hotel (site of the wedding), a Walgreens and Lupi's, a Mexican restaurant recommended to us (it did not disappoint). Plus, the value is the best I've seen in a long time. There's the free breakfast (not gourmet or cooked to order, but there were plenty of options and everything tasted good), the lovely pool area with swim-up bar and grill with burgers so juicy they rival those at In-N-Out and Five Guys, the comfy bed, the flatscreen TV with all the channels of home as well as a plethora of Spanish-speaking ones, the business center and the efficiency of check-in and check-out that could not be beat. Obviously it's not the best choice if you want a luxurious, long-term vacation. This is because it's not on the beach (but it's a block away), and if you want a poolside cocktail, you need to get up and get it yourself rather than have a waiter bring it to you. But I'd recommend this hotel to folks who either are in town briefly for an event or who need a place to stay before or after a cruise. Although, I must say we're tempted to stay here even for a full-on vacation after reading the horrible reviews about the cleanliness and service at the El San Juan hotel. The El San Juan is THE place to be for dancing and partying (and weddings -- the wedding we attending was fabulous), no doubt, but even we noticed dirty couches and an overall indifference of the staff when it came to actually doing their jobs. Review #2:I stayed with my bf. The bedroom is big & clean, the bed is super comfortable & king size, have a very good size TV, the bathroom was ok, but the bathtub was a bit small. The beach is 5 minute walk & you can find various fast foods near the place so you dont have to waste money. Overall, I had a lovely, fun & romantic experience. Can't wait to go back. HIGHLY RECOMENDED! Review #3:We just needed a place to stay for one night between getting back from Vieques and flying out of San Juan. This was a great place for that. The room was lovely and was air conditioned and had a TV with cable, which was nice after being in various locations around PR for 10 days. It was more of a suite than a room, with a living room area with a wet bar and then a separate room that was a bedroom. Both rooms had tvs. It was very close to the airport and the breakfast was nice and included with the room. We would definitely stay here again to be close to the airport, though if this is the only place you stay in PR, you are missing the best part. Review #4:This hotel was very nice and clean and the staff was very nice. However, the Isla Verde area is quite dumpy and I felt nervous walking around it. Also, the airplanes are way too loud and ruin the atmosphere. I was with my sister and our children and we were hit on more than once by some shady looking guys which made me really uncomfortable with our young children around. The beach in Isla Verde was dirty and stinky. We didn't even get wet. We stayed at this hotel because we had an early morning flight. I would only recommend staying there if you need to be close to the airport. We also stayed 4 days at the Carbie Hilton, which was very nice. If they could move the hotel to a nice part of town, I'd stay there again. Review #5:One of our better choices without breaking our budget . Clean and modern facility which even included breakfasts. We would have a quick breakfast and be gone all day seeing the island. Often didn't return to our room till late at night and were never disapponted with the hotel. Great facilty for familes - kids always were in the pool having fun. Review #6:This is a very nice hotel, We love ti, is very private, Front Desk all the agents there are very nice and friendly specially Dianna, she's always wealling to help. Housekeeping is excellent! Maintenance is great! this hotel is very clean, smells good, the pool is very confortable, the rooms are very nice, very clean and the beds are awesome! This hotel is very nice, confortable and customer service is great! Review #7:We stayed at Hampton Inn for one night pre-cruise. It was a quick 10 minute ride from the airport and about 20 minute drive to the Pan Am cruise pier. The morning of checkout we found an employee outside who was helping guests get cabs and we had no trouble finding one immediately. The rooms were quiet, in spite of the proximity to the airport. There are many restaurants within walking distance. We walked across the street and were on a beautiful beach within just a few minutes, where we enjoyed pleasant walk, then into the casino of the El San Juan Hotel for a little gambling in their casino. Then into the pool and hot tub for more evening relaxation. The Hampton staff could not have been more friendly and helpful! When we asked a question, they would respond and always add \"...is there anything else I can do for you?\" The breakfast buffet was excellent and plentiful, with lots of seating area and tables for everyone. Hampton exceeded my expectations and I would definitely stay there in the future. Review #8:Have stayed at this hotel twice pre cruise and loved it. The hotel staff are very friendly and helpful. Rooms a clean and comfortable. Location is very good 5 minutes from airport and a short walk to the beach. We find this hotel to be the best value for your dollar and have it booked again this year pre and post cruise, which we are very much looking forward to. Review #9:We were here for one night post cruise just to relax and we were delighted with the service and amenities. Wireless internet is a plus after being without for a week. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. The location was decent just a two block walk to the beach and the main street. The beach was very nice. Would stay here again especially for the price booked with hotwire. Review #10:This is a fine location for a quick stopover in San Juan. The clean, nicely furnished hotel is in the Isla Verde tourist district immediately adjacent to the airport, close to several casinos and numerous eateries. People sensitive to noise should try to avoid rooms in Tower A, which is closest to the airport runways and immediately next to a cock fighting arena whose combatants greet the dawn collectively. Review #11:This is a great place to stay. Although there is airplane noise out at the pool, it was rarely heard inside. The staff is friendly and very helpful. The breakfast is great. The pool is wonderful and well kept. There are lots of good restaurants at the big hotels nearby but be prepared..they are pricey! all in all, we really enjoyed our stay here!! ! Review #12:Prior to going to this hotel I did read a negative review about bedbugs; and the first thing I did when I got into the room was check for them--nothing! But what I will say is this, the hotel was very clean, the staff was very friendly and helpful; and the breakfast was excellent. Each morning we were up at 6 am, and at breakfast by 7:30 am. ; it was empty, quiet, and a pleasure. I grew up with parents who always left the hotel maid a tip, and I am no different, but I was really surprised that my maid, (her name is Blanca) did not take my tip; and I was curious why? Unfortunately, she didn't work on the weekends! Walgreens is right across the street, and also on that side of the street you can keep straight, veer off to your left, and you are on the beach. Its a beautiful beach, and is great for early morning risers and rising sun seekers. Loved it, and its really less than a 5 minute walk, at best. We also rented a car with Alamo, and the hotel charged only $5 a day for parking. Overall, it was a good hotel to stay at. Review #13:I took my two college age kids for a Chrismtas vacation and this hotel was very adequate and priced great. The beach is a few blocks away and there area ton of shops and restaurants close as well as a supermarket a few blocks away. It was a very safe area and i would recommend if you have a tight budget to stay here. Review #14:I think this is the nicest Hampton Inn we have stayed at. We paid in the mid 250s because everything was booked Presidents's Day weekend, but we were totally pleased with the hotel. I had previously stayed at the Hilton Caribe and really liked that - its a better location for getting to Old Town - but the Hampton is opposite the street from the Ritz and other hotels, allowing more access to restaurants, casinos, etc. The hotel is very clean (far more so than the four star El Conquistador Resort, for example!) and the beds are as good as the best Westin beds. The breakfast is an actual hot breakfast, plus so many other choices of cereals, juices, breads, and bagels, fruit, yogurt, granola, etc. - better than most Hampton Inns. The rooms were quite, the pool looked nice (we did not use) and the staff were helpful. I highly recommend this hotel over many four star establishments in Puerto Rico! Review #15:We just came back from beautiful San Juan and I have to tell you guys the hotel was almost perfect...buffet breakfast,reasonable price,kind and charming staff,pleasant pull (little bit dirty though ) good location...but....bed bugs!!!! I can't stop scratching my self!! So now you know, and I believe not every bed is infected ,but mine was...:( and yes internet was impossible to use cause it was too slow. Review #16:We stayed at the Hamtpon Inn & Suites for spring break and had a wonderful experience! It's a great hotel for the price, not to mention in a good location. The staff was very nice and offered lots of suggestions for places to eat and have fun; they also had answers to all our questions. The Business Center with free internet and printing was a nice surprise, and there was also wireless in the room. The hotel overall is well-kept and clean and the beds are small but comfortable. When I go back to Puerto Rico, I will definitely book at the Hampton Inn! Review #17:We got stuck in San Juan after being bumped off our flights all day long. We fly stand by, so we're not eligible to have our hotel paid for by the airline. We had just spent 4 days at the Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar, and had been at the airport since 5 AM. The last flight left at 7:45 PM without us on it and so we called around to find a hotel. We got to the Hampton Inn & Suites around 9 PM. We were exhausted. Since we are a family of 5, a room with 2 beds doesn't accomodate us. After explaning our situation with being stranded and having sat with 3 kids at the airport all day, I asked for a roll away and was told it was going to be another $20 or we could switch the room type and have a pull out couch for an additonal $40. The room rate was already pretty steep. Our rate for a suite at the Embassy Suites in Dorado which included 2 beds and a pull out couch on a beautiful resort property was less before these additonal charges even! We declined both and took the standard (overpriced) room. Our teenager slept on the floor. The room was nice, but a little worn. The walls had scuff marks on them everywhere and the furniture is pretty banged up. Also, the room is pretty cramped. The pool and the pool bar were right out side of our window, so it was a little noisy. We went back downstairs and asked if there was anywhere to eat. The front desk employees were friendly and helpful and gave us a lot of options of places we could walk to for dinner. We returned and went to sleep and checked out the next morning at 5 AM. This hotel is nice, but definitely overpriced. Review #18:We stayed at this hotel for one night. We booked through travelocity. We were delayed one night and travelocity said the hotel would not refund us our money for the night, so oh well, live and learn. The front desk staff were helpful and friendly. The room itself was pretty clean except for some black marks on the walls. I didn't complain because I was so exhausted from sleeping at the (ATL)airport the night before. I would stay here again for one night but if I was planning a longer stay in San Juan, I would pay the extra money for a four or five star resort. Review #19:This hotel has to be a sleeper. We have stayed in San Juan on 4 previous occasions over the past 10 years prior to cruising and this is by far and away the best hotel we have experienced. Not only is it less expensive than where we stayed in the past, the rooms (suites?) are larger - about 500 sq ft if you choose a poolview room - the entire hotel is spotless, it's within walking distance from many restaurants, other hotels, car rental agencies, and the beach which incidentally we don't think is that good. The modest comp breakfast satisfies, the burgers at the pool bar are super and the airport noise is a non issue in the rooms due to excellent double paned windows. Forget the over pricing at the hotels with casinos on the beach, you can walk to 3 of them from the Hampton and it's more comfortable. Review #20:We stayed at this place for 2 days...really a nice place to stay and is very near to airport aswell Old san Juan...checked in real quick..and the receptionist was very helpful in giving the maps and directions to Old San Juan...there was WIFI in the room...room service was good ..the only issue was the noise from the AC was not sure was this the problem with all the rooms or only with that of ours..:( and served the continental breakfast.The area nearby was gud for wandering..all together a nice place to stay... Review #21:We stayed here last Sunday for one overnight after disembarking from a 7 day cruise. This was our second stay here and it met our needs perfectly. We arrived at the hotel at about 8:30am and no surprise, there was no room ready for us. That was okay because we then took a ride (we rented a car from Avis after getting off the ship) to El Yunque rain forest and explored for a couple of hours. When we returned, the room was ready and we hung out at the pool for a while. We did plan to take advantage of the poolside grill for dinner, but when I walked up and ordered two burgers I was told that it would be at least an hour wait. Hmmm...we went to plan \"B\" and walked down to the beach/pier and went to a nice little restaurant instead - \"La Playita.\" Our flight home was at 10:30am Monday so we had a leisurely morning to finish packing and have breakfast before the 5 minute ride to the airport. We had none of the problems listed in some of the prior reviews. I did not give it 5 stars because it is not a 5 star hotel. It's clean with a friendly staff and typical Hampton Inn amenities. We paid $190 US for this night. Staying that one extra night saved us about $400 on airfare, and twist my arm, I had to stay in Puerto Rico for one more night. It was a great addition to a wonderful vacation week. Review #22:Although this hotel costs more than I usually pay for Hampton, it is worth it. It is modern and clean as a pin. The location is excellent. It is a few steps from the beach and near many restaurants. The rooms have large flat screen tvs with adequate cable. There is free wifi and wired internet. They have a good breakfast with some hot items changing daily. What really makes this place special is the people running it. Although there is no conscierge, the front desk fills in admirably. They are anxious to make your stay pleasant and productive. Review #23:Perfect stop pre-approved by the flight crews! Stayed one night, Oct 6. Arrived early enough to enjoy the clean pool and tasty poolside grilled lunch of cheeseburgers and fries prepared to perfection, a bargain at $8. No South Beach diet, but we were on vacation. True, during the day the jets landing on the adjacent runway will momentarily shake your bones, but they don't fly at night. Took a cab to the fabulous (by any standard) Plaza las Americas Mall for the highest quality shops we've seen anywhere in the continental U.S., with better prices, too. The Hampton Inn rooms are spacious, safe and clean with very comfortable beds and all bedclothes are washed daily. Windows are double-paned to reduce noise, but I would request a room on the left wing as you face Reception farther from the runways if you want to nap during the day. Really, at night the noise is not a problem. The airlines would not put their crews there unless it was clean, safe and quiet and a good price close to the airport. Also, 2 blocks away is a fabulous, free, white powder sand beach with gentle waves, possibly the best beach we've ever enjoyed. This place could be a destination unto itself. Lots of good restaurants within safe walking distance. Prefer this to Old San Juan any day. Review #24:I have had several extended trips to San Juan this year, and I will only stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites on busy Isla Verde Avenue. It is close to the airport, where I was working, but also close to the beach and several restaurants, all within walking distance. There are also several other shops nearby for the everyday conveniences. Most nights I didn't even leave the hotel since there is a poolside bar and grill outside. Even though I was there on business, my evenings felt like a vacation. This hotel has all the Hampton Inn conveniences while maintaining the lad back Caribbean vibe. Review #25:Nice and clean, friendly staff, beautiful decor with a tropical theme through out the place. Pool was abit small and loud from the planes, but we wanted to be near the airport. The poolside bar and grill was fantastic thier burgers were nice and juicy with lots of flavor- only 6.50$( came with a side dish) No problems getting a reasonable cab to the airport. A short walk away you can go to the beach. Review #26:We had decided that we wanted to stay an extra night in Puerto Rico to visit more of the island after we completed our Carribean cruise. We found this hotel through hotels.com and carefully read the reviews before we left. Since the overall rating was good, we decided to book. And we were happy to see that we had made the right pick. Check in was fairly quick even though there was a long line-up upon arrival. Parking cost less than $6 tax in for guests.The room was beautifully furnished with top notch furniture and comfortable bedding. The business center had three computers with complimentary internet access (very slow though at times). Complimentary breakfast offered waffles, eggs, sausage, all types of breads, coffee cakes, cereals, fresh fruit, orange juice, and good coffee. Everything was delicious except for the sausage which looked really dry and not too apetizing. Great location, 5 minutes walk from beach and about 15 minutes from airport. Hotel has a beautiful jacuzzi and outdoor pool with pool bar. Pool towels are provided even when we went to the beach. The pool bar also prepared barbecued food and we absolutely LOVED their baby-back ribs made by Jay. Remember that name, cause he is the guy you want behind the grill and who will make the difference in your appreciation of this meal. He is such a pro at this and trust me you won't eat any other ones like these! Chicken burger was also very tasty and juicy as well as their hamburgers. Salad side dish was not very generous, so we ommitted the chips and asked for more greens, which they happily did. Drinks are very cheap. We stayed at a different hotel when we arrived in Puerto Rico the day before our cruise and we were very disappointed, even though the cost was very comparable. So this one is definitely a keeper! Review #27:Clean rooms, wonderful front desk staff, great breakfast buffets. I had one small problem with my phone and one of the maintenance personnel overhead my comment. Next thing I know, he's upstairs fixing the phone! What service! Very personable staff - always friendly and polite. I can't say enough about them. The Tuesday night buffets are okay - get there early because the food does run out! The food by the pool area is good. As with everything in Puerto Rico, make sure you allow plenty of time - it's definitely NOT fast food! Close to the airport, but you can't hear the noise unless you're by the pool. You really can't go wrong here! Review #28:My wife and I went on a cruise and stayed at the Hampton Inn for a few days beforehand so we could see San Juan. The inside of the hotel, especially the rooms, are beautiful. It is a nice looking place and service was good. The breakfast was so-so, not bad, but definitely not great either. My primary reservation with the hotel was the price: 1) Nothing says class like a cock fighting arena outside your window. 2) Going to the beach is a 10 minute walk and once you get there, it is not automatic that you will find a beach chair. 3) A taxi to Old San Juan is $20 each way. We took the public bus for $0.75 each, but it took roughly 50 minutes each way. 4) When at the pool, you could almost feel the wind from the jet engines. None of these are deal-breakers, but I thought the price of $200 a night was a little high (it felt like a $120 hotel). I talked with someone in a nearby restaurant who was at the Courtyard about 5 minutes away, and he paid $20 less a night and was on the beach. If I did this again, I think I would definitely try this next. Review #29:I stayed here for three nights, April 20th to 23rd, 2010. I stayed in room # 333. I paid $ 135 USD per night. This hotel belongs to the Hilton family of hotels. I really enjoyed my stay. My room was a one King bed room. Great bed, clean linen. The room was very clean. I had free WiFi internet in the room. Free breakfast was included in the price. I have read that other guest's paid $ 5 USD for parking. I had a rental car, and, the front desk always validated my parking ticket, everytime I wanted to depart the hotel. I don't think the front desk makes this function known, and, those other guest's probably never asked. The palapa bar out by the swimming pool, is a great place to un-wind every night. They do grill up some nice meals there for you, along with refreshing drinks. The only planes I ever heard taking off or landing, was when I was out at the palapa bar. When in my room, I never heard any jet noises at all. I definately recommend this hotel to everybody. On my future visits to Puerto Rico, I will be booking this hotel again. Review #30:Room is good. (King suite facing pool). Average condition, few amenities (no bar, restaurant, etc...except pool bar w/food outside). Quiet...except for some airport noise and loud voices from adjoining room through closed doors. Typical free Hampton breakfast buffet. However, lousy neighborhood. Run down, dirty streets and buildings. Nearby beach is dirty with piles of sea weed. Next time I would pay the extra for Condado area resort hotel or stay in Old San Juan. It's $50 round trip cab, incl tip to Old San Juan, where all the city's character is. Spend a day touring Old San Juan, impressive castles/forts, neat streets and shops. $19 plus tip to Pan American cruise ship dock from this hotel. Review #31:My wife and I spent a long weekend in Puerto Rico to visit with our son who had been working here for the last several months and to get a break from the cold. We chose the Hampton Inn after reading the reviews here. I have to say that this hotel exceeded my expectations. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The breakfast in the lobby each morning was just right, it saved time and money. The hotel staff were friendly and helpful. I don't know if I would recommend this someone who was looking for more of a resort stay. I think if you came to Puerto Rico and only stayed in the vicinity of the hotel, you would miss a lot of the charm and beauty of the island. We used this as a base to operate from and traveled all over the island. There is a lot at the hotel though; Walgreen's across the street and several restaurants in walking distance. A two block walk to the beach was not a problem. When we went to that beach I noticed a resort with umbrellas and lounge chairs approximately 100 yards from where we set up our towels. I walked over to get a better look and discovered that it was the Ritz-Carlton. I'm certain that none of the people there paid $179 a night to get to that beach. The pool, hot tub and swim up bar at the hotel were great. You could spend your vacation there and have a great time. On Monday we took the 75 cent bus trip to Old San Juan and explored. The desk clerk gave us excellent advise on which bus to take and also told us to take the free trolley to the farthest point out once we arrived at the bus station. That way we could work our way back through the city going downhill. That worked out great. I would definitely stay at this hotel again. Review #32:We stayed here for just one night after a late arrival into San Juan. The cab ride from the airport to the hotel was $12-$15. The room was a little small for a Hampton Inn, but still very comfy. We had enough room with our baby's travel crib to use the desk and lounge chair all at the same time. Very comfy bed, great water pressure, & nice continental breakfast. The pool area with bar looked really nice, but we didn't stay long enough to try it. The price was reasonable compared to the other options in the area. Review #33:Stayed here mid Nov and loved it. The outside pool bar has great. The food is outstanding and the drinks were reasonably priced. Room was clean and quiet. Great location walk to beach, walgreens, restaurants. Safe neighborhood. Hotel parking $10 a night Review #34:We have stayed at the Hampton Inn a few times before, and it was always only for a night or two before a cruise. The hotel is nice, but I wouldn't want to stay for longer than a few nights, seeing as there's not a ton to do. The location is pretty good, there are some nice restaurants and a beach nearby. The pool is good. You can get food, like burgers and grilled cheese, from the bar near the pool. There's a hot tub too and lots of chairs to sit on. The rooms are pretty good. They have a good amount of space, we could fit our whole family of five in one room, which had two queen beds and we had a rollaway as well. The first time we stayed here we had a nice view of the pool, the second time we had an ugly view of the parking lot, but we didn't mind much. Breakfast is great. It's free and a buffet is set up so you can get your breakfast in the lobby. They have coffee, cereal and fruit as well as some hot food like sausage and eggs, as well as toast. For other meals you have to eat at the bar by the pool or go to a nearby restaurant. The location was good here, because it was just a short walk to the beach and many restaurants, however it was very close to the airport as well, which is both good and bad. Good because it doesn't take long to get to the hotel, but bad because there are always planes passing by so it's quite noisy. I would recommend this hotel if you need somewhere to stay for a short amount of time before a cruise, or if you don't plan to do much on your vacation. Review #35:Stayed here in March, 2006 The Good: Overall it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a nice hotel, although its far from a new property. The breakfast ins included and they do a nice job- choice of coffees and tea, fruit, a hot item, cereals, yogurt etc. The business center is a nice plus and offers free printing. The pool is on the small side- but never looked crowded. The people are friendly The not so good: The hotel has suites and standard rooms- I was in a standard room. The furniture is newer, but the rooms themselves are kind of beat up ( some mildew on the over calked bath tub, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153black\u00e2\u20ac\ufffd material coming from the piper in the tub, etc.). The hotel is very close to the airport and if you have the windows open you feel like you are sleeping on a run way. As with most Hamptons \u00e2\u20ac\u201c this location offers no room service or restaurant- there is however a snack area at the pool- but it closes fairly early. Summary- stay there if the price is right but compare the Marriott Price and Availability first Review #36:I've stayed at dozens of properties throughout the Hilton family, ranging from high-end Waldorf Astoria properties in New York or the Conrad in the Maldives, to not-so-stellar places such as airport Hampton Inns. Because this property was so close to San Juan airport, I was assuming it'd be like your typical airport budget hotel...but was surprised and delighted to see it was not. This property is great --good location, great staff, and nice interiors/rooms --definitely the best Hampton Inn I've stayed at.... and generally nicer than more than 70% of Hilton Hotels I've stayed at. The lobby featured new/modern decor...as did the room. The bed/furnishings were high quality....and the materials in the bathroom (granites and beautiful tile) were too. The room was quiet and very clean --I remarked at how \"fresh\" the room smelled when I first walked in. They provided the typical Hampton Inn breakfast, which included fruits, cereals, carbs, and some hot options which included cheese omelets, bacon, and make-your-own waffles. There was plenty of self-dispensed juice to drink too in addition to coffee. You can eat at table seating, bartop seating, or outdoors by the pool. The pool was nice --large and clean, and featured a swim-up bar to a bar/grill in the rear of the property. The food at the pool bar/grill was top-notch; I was shocked I was eating in a Hampton Inn and shocked I was eating at a pool bar/grill with the type of quality I was enjoying. Bar/grill staff were very friendly. Front desk staff was cheery and helpful. There was an error on my folio at check-out that they promptly fixed. The location is good; a short 2-3 minute walk across the street brings you to the Ritz Carlton, other nearby casinos, or the beach. I felt safe in and around the hotel. Overall, a great stay in a great property with great service. So much so the hotel should bear a more upscale brand than \"Hampton Inn.\" Review #37:I travel to PR several times a year and always stay at the Hampton Inn in Isla Verde. I always have a wonderful experience - the staff are very friendly and helpful (will always point you to a great restaurant or book a local tour), the rooms are large and clean, and the location is excellent. You have a short walk to the beach, a ton of restaurants, and bars. There are several other large hotels nearby (on the beach) that are extremely overpriced and stuffy. I have stayed in a variety of these hotels as well and always have a poor experience. I highly recommend the Hampton Inn! Review #38:The staff are very friendly and accommodating. The whole hotel is clean and pleasant to be in. Parking is an extra $5 a day but that us fair compared to other locations in the area. Breakfast is included but if your kids like cereal ask for it. For those who keep kosher, Chabad is a five minute walk from the hotel. Review #39:Just returned from a quick trip to PR with mom to celebrate her 60th. Love the place and the people. We took a jr. suite facing the pool. We had 2 double cloud 9 beds and a large tv in the bedroom. A nice kitchen area with sink, coffee maker, microwave, and mini frig. We also had a living room with couch, chair, desk/table with 2 side chairs and a large tv. All was clean and very nice. Continental breakfasts w/ 2 hot items (eggs/sausage) were provided until 10 am and coffee/tea provided 24 hours. The breakfast made it easy to get our day started without figuring anything out. Pool and jacuzzi are nice with fluffy towels provided. Staff is friendly - recommending buses, restaurants and even having a few menus on hand. Location is very convenient to the airport and you can walk to the beach in a few minutes (ask staff where best beach is since access is limited due to private bldgs and homes). If you take public bus route A5 into Old San Jan as we did expect at least a 1/2 hour ride with a close up experience to PR and its wonderful and warm people. Great restaurant deli across the street - I know it looks like a diner but it is good. Metropol on the other side of the cockfighting arena next door had wonderful cuban fare and drums located in the Isle Verdre mall (2 o'clock from the Hampton front door) had a wonderful red snapper special as well as PR appetizers. Review #40:This hotel - I think - is supposed to be a business hotel. As a business hotel, it's got some very nice features: 2 minutes from the airport, decent internet bandwidth, a nice business center with 4 HP towers and a laser printer, quick dry-cleaning, in-house coin laundry, quick in-and-out parking, and very close to restaurants. However, the hotel is 2 blocks from the beach. As a result, the clientele is a bit skeevy. Small children in wet bathing suits running wild in the hallways, screaming to all hours. Teen baseball teams creating long lines, noise, and chaos at breakfast. To me, businessmen and vacationers do not make a good mix. But the hotel staff were perfectly bi-lingual (surprisingly rare in Puerto Rico), very cordial and helpful, and I would have to say overall my experience at this hotel was a good one. I think next time I will stay at the Doubletree, which is not near the beach and seems a bit more business-oriented. Review #41:I recently spent 30 days at this hotel. The staff was very accomodating to every need a long term client can have. Great rooms with essentials to survive away from home. Did not use most of the facilities but they all looked clean and inviting. Highly recommended and it is now part of the Hilton family for those of us that like to get points for our stays. Review #42:We had never been to the Isla Verde area but decided to stay there overnight so we would be close to the airport for an early morning flight. We were pleasantly surprised by the hotel's location which was within walking distance to upscale restaurants and casinos. The area felt very safe also. The hotel was very clean, staff very helpful and we chose a King suite overlooking the pool which was fantastic. We did not get a chance to use the pool but it looked very nice. They had a manager's reception in the early evening with drinks and opportunities to talk to the other guests and staff - very nice touch. The breakfast was good and as an added bonus we were at the airport within 15 minutes. Review #43:The staff is great. The rooms are clean and well kept. The breakfast is excellent. The swim up bar and grill is pretty awesome too! If you don't want to pay Old San Juan prices, but want to be close to all the activities this is a great option. The Isla Verde area is great! You are only a 5 minute walk to the beach, a 10 minute drive to the airport, and a 15 minute drive to Old San Juan, plus there are tons or shops and restaurants just a few steps from the hotel. We will certainly be back! Review #44:My wife and I stayed here for one night prior to boarding a cruise. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the rooms spacious and well appointed, and there was plenty to keep us busy on site/nearby (pool, fitness center, beach nearby, plenty of restaurants within walking distance, casinos, shopping, etc). Pool and hot tub were both well maintained and there was a swim-up bar that served drinks and food. The free hot breakfast in the morning was stocked with everything you could imagine for breakfast. Free WiFi too. Only two negatives and both were minor. First, it was right next to the airport and so the noise of planes taking off during the day was a bit distracting. Also, we had no HOT water (lukewarm only) in the morning for showers. Review #45:I am a Hilton HHonors Diamond Member with more than 100 stays per year at the Hilton Hotels, this hotel was the worst hotel that I have ever stayed at, the place seemed like it was from the 1960's, the beds were horrible, the staff's attitude was very conflictive, this hotel should be priced at around $59 per night and not at $189. What a disgrace to Conrad Hilton; the pool, the carpet, the paint, the beds; were all dilapidated. My family and I decided that after a few days, it was time to move on, at which point we advised the hotel and they were insulting by saying \"Well, guess its time to go home, because Puerto Rico is expensive,\" and I responded with \"NO, we are moving to a real hotel, like the Embassy Suites; once we arrived at the Embassy Suites, the hotel manager personally took care of us and gave us the Diamond Member treatment. For a difference of only $20, our family was able to recuperate from the dreadful mistake of staying at the \"Worst Hampton in All of the America's.\" This hotel is probably ok for the flying crew; as they are only in for a night, but not for families. My kids had a wonderful time at the Embassy Suites with a Cascading Waterfall and water toys to pass several hours; also the breakfast and food was far superior to anything served at the Hampton. At the Hampton, the cafeteria or area serving food, closed at around 9p.m., what a disappointment. No more stays at Hampton Inns, neither in Puerto Rico nor anywhere else. Review #46:I chose this hotel because of the location - close to the airport and the beach area. We stayed after our cruise and really lucked out with this place. It was very clean, had friendly and helpful staff, and a great hot breakfast! The pool patio was very clean and inviting, with a hot tub and bar in the same area. Our room was large with two comfortable queen size beds, and the bathroom was also very large and clean. They also provide free internet from either your room or the computer room off the foyer. They are close to a number of restaurants and bars for either local cuisine or your standard North American chains. We two women felt quite safe walking around outside (however, I wouldn't venture down to the beach at night), with many police patrols visible. It's only a $20 taxi ride to downtown Old San Juan. Highly recommended! ! Review #47:We stayed here after our first hotel overbooked and sent us to a dump we refused to stay in- I called this hotel and asked if they had any availability. They had one room to offer and we snatched it up to get out of where we were. We only stayed one night but would stay again. Nice area, comfortable to walk around in at night- rooms were nice, breakfast was good. We didn't spend a lot of time here (late arrival and left San Juan the next morning for Luquillo) but it was a nice hotel. Review #48:We visited this hotel on May 9, 2009. We stayed there because we were taking the Royal Carribean cruise which left the next day. This hotel was beautiful!! It is very clean and the complimentary breakfast was excellent. The staff was very professional and helpful to us. We were very pleased with our stay and would highly recommend this hotel to anyone. Review #49:I've stayed at the Hampton several times over the years on business, as well as some of the fancy hotels nearby on Isla Verde. For a clean and nice place to sleep, as well as a friendly staff, cheap parking and free internet this is the only place in the San Juan metro area that I can recommend. Sure other places are right on the beach, have a fancy pool with $7 cokes and bottles of water, so leave that to the tourists. Lots of flight crews stay here, as well as people coming in early or staying an extra day after a cruise or caribbean vacation while waiting on a flight at the airport (literally right behind the hotel). The staff is extremely friendly and the entire property is very clean, which is a luxury in and of itself in PR. If you are looking for the fancy hotel lobbys, restaurants and expensive restaurants they are all within a 5 minute (or less) walk from the front door. The beach is also 2 blocks away. Just take the side street next to the Walgreens and it drops you right on the same strech of sand used by the Ritz Carlton. This is one of the best Hampton Inns in North America. I'll be back. Review #50:My coworker/friend met me at this hotel to finish the last leg of my solo vacation so I was anxious to have some company. My coworker is a younger person who has limited finances so I was hoping that everything was up to par so that she can enjoy her vacation. We were not disappointed with this hotel. The location was very close to the airport, taxi to the hotel was $12. The hotel staff are very nice and helpful. The hotel, room and grounds are very clean and comfortable. Not on the beach but close enough. Free breakfast was acceptable and satisfying to start the day. Plenty of food places close by. I arrived at 9am and was immediately checked in - no waiting till 3pm. I sure didn't want to haul my luggage around until 3pm. The beds are comfortable and the pillows the best. Free wi-fi either in the hotel or your room Review #51:I was in San Juan for a week for business so I wasn't going to be spending a lot of time at the hotel. I just wanted a clean, comfortable room in a convenient location. The Hampton Inn was perfect. There's plenty of parking which was a big plus and for only $5 a day. The room has a nice big flat screen tv and a refrigerator which is nice as I like to keep cold water and some beer in the room. The desk staff was very helpful in recommending places to eat. The pool area is very nice and very clean. There is a swim-up bar and grill which has very good food. If I go back to Puerto Rico for busniness I'll definitely stay here again. Review #52:It's no 5 star resort if that's what you are looking for. It's intended purpose is that of a typical airport inn and you will find several pilots, flight attendants, and business people staying there. However, it was quite inpressive for the money. The prices are low and for that price the rooms are comfortable, clean and updated, the lobby is nice, nice pool, great location, and friendly staff. My 2 friends and I stayed there for a vacation trip and were very happy. It's a short walk to the beach, restaurants, bars, clubs and casino's. I would stay there again if returning to San Juan. Review #53:Would highly recommend this hotel. We stayed the last night our vacation to be near the airport. The rooms are wonderful, beds are very comfortable, pool area is great. The price was reasonable and the complimentary breakfast is very good. There are restaurants across the street. We only heard the airplanes when we were outside. Review #54:I stayed at the Hampton with my wife, my son and his wife the night before our cruise left port. Other than the double beds being a bit cozy, we had a good stay here. The breakfast in the morning was good and the front desk personel were very friendly and helpful. Review #55:We came in a couple days before a cruise and stayed here. Someone in our group had been there before and recommended it. The rooms were nice and our stay there was pleasant. There was free breakfast in the morning that was very sufficient. One night a neighboring room was having a fight in the middle of the night. We called security and it was taken care of very quickly. There is a Walgreen's within walking distance if you need to buy a few last minute items before cruising. Review #56:I recently stayed here with friends for a bachelorette party. THE GOOD: Rooms are clean, the hotel staff was nice (talk to Omar at the front desk). THE BAD: It is not a beachfront property, so you have to walk 2 blocks to the beach (not bad). The beach within walking distance is dirty (cigerette butts everywhere). I recommend researching where the cleaner beaches are on the island. Additionally, go early for breakfast (they stop replenshing the hot breakfast after 9). THE UGLY: The pool is absolutely disgusting. You cannot even see the bottom on the 3 foot side. There are things floating in there, that make you want to vomit. OTHER TIPS: Cabs are very expensive, so rent a car. You can rent one at the Ritz down the street. Go to El San Juan Hotel & Casino to party / drinks. Their lobby is very lively. Lupi's is the only 24/7 eatery around, its not good, but if you gotta eat, you gotta eat! Definitely go to Old San Juan - the restaurant \"Mira Buena\" is delicious! And also, for authentic local PR food, go check out the food Kiosks on the east tip of the island (30 min drive). I recommend Kiosk #38. Review #57:We stayed the last night of our vacation here. It was very clean and comfortable. A breakfast is included in your rate (cheese omelet ,sausage,bagels,cereal,yogurt,etc.). There was some airport noise due to how close the hotel is to it. Only a 5 min taxi ride away . Also, a 5 min walk to the Isla Verde beach. I would recommend this hotel. Review #58:Second time in 12 months at this hotel and another outstanding stay. Obviously many people want an \"on the beach\" resort, but if you are willing to walk across the street, your savings and satisfaction will be met here! Inexpensive parking, the most friendly front desk staff available, a fantastic poolside grill, clean rooms, linens and comfy beds. This is a fantastic hotel. Breakfast is unbeatable and they change it up daily. The pool grill has fantastic food at a very affordable price for families. Your walk across the street can take you to the Pine Grove area of Isla Verde....go right toward the Ritz resort or the western side near the El San Juan - you must try both sides.......so fun! We can't say enough positive about the Hampton and it's staff. Review #59:This hotel was perfect for what we needed for a pre-cruise stay of one night. After a very long day including 2 flights and lost luggage we were beat. The hotel is close to the airport, there is a pharmacy across the street and a great pool area. It was clean and safe and staff was friendly. The little grill by the pool was awesome and the burgers were delicious. We expected very limited choices but their menu was a lot broader than we expected, including chicken and even, I think, steak. Breakfast was larger than your usual continental type and more than what we needed. We would stay here again. Review #60:The best feature of this hotel is the pool and the breakfast. The pool has a swim up bar but was rarely seen being used during our 10 day stay. The pool area is clean but the lounge chair cushons could be taken better care. The hot breakfast was nice but could offer a few options. The fresh waffles that were offered daily were a nice addition. The fruit was quite sour and the eggs were a bit dry but can't complain too much as there is a larger variety than what Ive had at other hotels. The rooms were clean and housekeeping was there first thing in the morning. The staff was very courteous and professional. I would stay here again. Review #61:Very nice hotel, breakfast buffet included and only $5/day parking. Close to Pueblo supermarket, airport and various restaurants. Good service by the front desk: when I had a problem with the wifi internet, they brought me a regular wired modem. Can be busy at weekends: there was a very long queue at the front desk to check out when we were checking in early. Review #62:Before we were ready to take off on first cruise, we stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Isla Verde. It is well located, being about 15 minutes from the airport and in walking distance to key places in Isla Verde. The front desk staff was very friendly from the first point we arrived. I liked how they had free drinks all day. The interior of the property was nice, but the room was worn around the edges. It was obvious that the lobby and other areas of the hotel were refurbished while the rooms were a bit neglected. However, the room was spacious, and the beds were comfortable. We had a nice view of pool. The free breakfast was a plus and helped to save time since we had a tour of El Yunque rainforest the next morning. On our first day, I really wanted to try the infamous El Churry sandwich, which has three types of meats served from a food truck on Isla Verde street where we where staying. It was a long walk from the hotel through rain and way at the other end. Sadly, when we got there around 4 p.m., the truck was closed. However, that night we walked across the street to another Hilton property, El San Juan Resort & Casino, and caught a free concert featuring the Gypsy Kings. Overall, it was a nice stay at the Hampton Inn and in Puerto Rico. Review #63:Stayed here for a night while connecting flights. Friendly, nice pool where we hung out with the kids, breakfast was good, good pool food at the grill, took the family suite which was perfect for us (we're four). Convenient to get to the airport. Supermarket nearby (walking distance). Old San Juan is lovely to visit. Recommend Review #64:Went to the Heineken Jazz Fest and choose to stay here for the good price. Hotel is in a excellent location with Denny's and a CVS across the street. The food from the pool bar was grilled and great. The only complaint I have was that the maid came early in the morning twice and opened the door with a fast knock while we were sleeping. The 2nd time she came back I told her to come back in a half hour. When I left the room all of the clean ladies where in the hallway still working and said hi to us. When we came back to the room 4 hours later the room wasn't cleaned. We had to call the front desk for soap and clean towels. The next day was our check out day and the maid still came knocking on the door early in the morning. Other than that the staff was very friendly! The room we had (453) had water stains on the wall by the door from an apparent leak from the ceiling, but it didn't effect our stay at all. Review #65:We stayed at Hampton Inn for one night pre-cruise. After arriving on a \"red eye\" from the west coast, we were fairly tired and ready to relax a bit. Even though it was only 11AM, the hotel staff was kind enough to allow us to check in early and gave us our keys right away. The hotel was clean and while this is no \"resort\", it has everything you could need for a short stay of 1 or 2 nights. The pool is small but nice and even has a swim up bar at one end. The bar cooks burgers, hot dogs and few other local items. It's a great little area just just relax and enjoy the tropics after a long flight. The rooms are fairly well kept and the bedding was clean. Even though it's located pretty close to the airport, noise was not a factor while inside. While at the pool, the planes could still be heard, but it's a momentary distraction at best. The hotel has a couple of other nice features like a business center that had 5 computers (great for emailing friends/family and gloating that you have arrived in the Caribbean) and also a self-serve breakfast in the morning. Breakfast alone probably saved the three of us $40. While the hotel is not located very close to Old San Juan (about 15 minutes away), taxi service was easily available. Also, since Hampton is close to the airport, the taxi from the airport was not overly expensive. There are plenty of restaurants and casinos nearby. Our only wish would be that the hotel had an airport shuttle. Overall, we enjoyed our stay here and it's perfect for pre or post cruise nights. Hampton Inn is a good choice for keeping your budget in check, but still getting a few perks. Review #66:Having stayed at this hotel a few years back and having a positive experience, we booked a pre-cruise overnight for this trip. Again, we were not disappointed. The hotel is clean, has a nice pool with a swim-up bar, free wi-fi, and a great complimentary breakfast. It is within walking distance of the beach, casinos, restaraunts, and various stores. It is about 5 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from the cruise port. Review #67:This is a very good hotel and an incredible value. Traveling with hungry teens, the breakfast bar was great for stretching our meal budget. We stayed in a two room suite which was great for a week long stay, so we would not tripping over one another. The beds were incredible... crisp and clean with two choices of pillows (soft & firm). The overall hotel (both interior and exterior)was nicely decorated and the pool area was lovely (especially at night). The hamburgers at the poolside grill were delicious ( a big hit with my teens) and convenient. The hotel is within walking distance of the beach, a Walgreens, a city bus stop, and literally dozens of resturants. We ate at several of the local ones, and never had a bad meal. Only a few details kept this hotel from getting a perfect mark...First, we had water leak from the room above us (in the shower) but someone came up right away to address it and clean up, but it was still a small annoyance and the plumbing needs to be addressed before it becomes a regular occurance....they could stand to vaccum the hallways/rooms and pool a little more often, and they should paint the interior room doors (they were off-white) and refinish the bathtubs. As these areas need some attention, overall though this is a solid establishment. Review #68:My husband and I just arrived home after a wonderful week at the Hampton Inn & Suites in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This hotel is absolutely the best we have stayed at. Its very cozy and has a home feeling. The customer service staff is the greatest! We miss it already and if you're looking for a nice place to stay, please try the Hampton Inn. Thank you to all the ladies in customer service. They are the best! Review #69:We stayed for one night pre-cruise and used points to pay for the room so the price was right. Otherwise it would have run us about $250 for the night. The front desk staff was very helpful, the room was nice and clean and there were many places to walk out for dinner. The pool area is attractive - decent sized pool, small hot tub, comfy loungers and a good bar/grill (I also agree the hamburger is excellent). You do hear noise from the airport when the planes take off (rendering conversation impossible for 30 seconds at a time), but it's no big deal. Review #70:This was our third stay at the Hampton Inn this year and my second review. I had to take one star off of the previous review due to a backslide in the housekeeping department. Upon first checking in for this stay we were assigned a room upstairs. The room looked like it had been cleaned and made up properly but upon inspection, I noticed that one of the beds had small black hairs all over it. I went downstairs and they immediately assigned me another room, this one being on the first floor. All was well the first night but again the housekeeping showed signs of weakness. Two of the four nights we were there we did not receive any washcloths. One of the nights our clean bath towels were draped over the toilet tank instead of on the rack...disgusting. It was also obvious that our sheets were never changed for our four night stay. I find that unacceptable as well. We leave tips every day and are very tidy in our room because we do not like to be a burden on the staff but this was obviously not appreciated. Other than those issues, the hotel is still a good bet. They are under renovation right now but travelers are not inconvenienced by it at all. I believe the renovation is supposed to be completed by the end of November. The free breakfast has been moved from the lobby to a conference room down the hall. Parking is still a bargain at $5 a day. (Other hotels charge between $15 - $20.) The Wifi signal also seemed stronger than on my previous visit in June. I did not have any trouble connecting with my mobile device. This hotel is frequented by many business travelers and airline staff as well. It is not a resort but a solid hotel in the Isla Verde area. I hope they address the housekeeping issues. Review #71:I would like to inform you of our recent stay at the Hampton Inn Suites Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I reserved 3 suites. We had one suite reserved for 5-28-10 the suite was ready and my sister could immediately check in. We had a connecting suite for 5-29-10. When my wife and I arrived we learned that one of our suites were accidentally booked the prior day. We spoke with the Manager, who apologized for the mishap and advised that she would do her best to accommodate us. Not only did she do her best she went above and beyond and we just wanted to let everyone know that we had a wonderful time at the hotel, we were very satisfied with the rooms, the staff was great, the free breakfast was an added treat, the food at pool side was fantastic. We look forward to our vacation there next year. I am so glad my wife booked reservations at this hotel. A few of our family and friends stayed at some of the pricier hotels and they informed us that the service was not that great. Again, I would like to thank the staff at the Hampton Inn & Suites for their exceptional hospitality. Review #72:We came into Peurto Rico late and had previously booked another hotel. The hotel we had chosen was not going to work so we called a travel agent and she booked us at the Hampton. The first three nights our air was not working and we had someone come and fix it however it did not work. The phone in our room was also out of order. They had attempted to fix it but that did not work. We had a wedding to attend and we called again about the air and someone from the front desk came up to see that it was very warm and went ahead and switched us to a new room. We were late to our wedding due to switching rooms 2 hours prior to the wedding. The pool was a beautiful place to be. The airplanes were loud but tollerable. However people were constantly having to ask for towels. The bar by the pool had wonderful burgers available all day. On our third day the bar ran out of Corona, Nanchos, limes, and Medalla. This to me was frusturating. Some people go on vacation to sight see and others go to lay pool side and soak up the sun and just be free of a schedule and with these luxuries missing that is not easliy accomplished. The hotel was a very nice place to stay and I would recommend it. I feel that they really need to be more orgainized and on top of things after all you are not spending $1900.00 for two beds and a nice shower. We were compt one night and a rollaway bed. To me that is just not right when they clearly say Hampton Inn 100% Gurantee. Review #73:We stayed here prior to a cruise as we had last year.Following our earlier stay I gave a generally positive review of this hotel (on February 13, 2006) except for the malfunctioning air conditioning unit for which we were given a suitable adjustment (we were compted). No such problem this time as every thing was fine, No airport noise in the room, the pool was great, the area has a lot to offer as far as restaurants etc. This is not a fancy hotel , but a Hampton INN and one of the better ones at that. One criticism I have is the price of ALL of the hotels in San Juan which have been creeping upward in each of the past 5 years I have been visiting San Juan. I believe an AARP rate of $200 is too expensive for this hotel just as the $300-$500 rates are too expensive for the fancier hotels nereby that were in the $200 plus range only a few years ago.. Review #74:Before I even begin to review this hotel, I have to commend the staff at this hotel. Let's be honest, we all well know that Hampton Inns are in the lower spectrum of the Hilton chain. That is no secret, and this hotel does not deviate from the obvious. So, what separates one chain from another is its staff and the little things that people do to make your stay memorable, comfortable and in this case (with hurricane Irene in tow) bearable. With more than a million people in Puerto Rico without electricity and some even without water, the Hampton Inn in San Juan, kept its composure and more importantly, electricity, water, food, entertainment and surprisingly enough, internet service as well. People were fed, attended to and serviced with a smile. Rooms were clean and everything in my room was in perfect order. Remember that the people who work at the hotel are residents of the island and them too, had no power or water. They showed up and displayed their best. The hotel offered a very nice breakfast, had DVD movies showing at the lobby and kept the small but adequate fitness room operating so that people would have a choice and avoid \"cabin fever\". The hotel is relatively a short walk to the beach which normally I would had checked out. I hope this comment gets to everyone at the hotel and most importantly, to the powers to be and recognize these wonderful people that pulled it together in the face of adversity. Review #75:We stayed here for 2 nights after a trip to Culebra before flying back to Florida. We found the hotel to be very helpful, allowing us to check in early and giving various directions when needed. The room was spotlessly clean and we paid $127 a night. We got a ground floor room which had TV with cable(BBC World News was nice for us Brits), huge bed, free WI FI, coffee maker but no fridge or microwave. The breakfast was very good and there are plenty of places to eat within walking distance. There's a bus stop opposite the hotel where 75 cents gets you to old San Juan and the beach is a 5 minute walk away. Overall, very nice with no problems encountered. Review #76:We stayed at the Hampton Inn on Isla Verde for 7 nights. The suite was a little smaller than Hampton Inns we've stayed at in the states, but they provided us with two cribs for our baby and toddler and everyone fit fine. The pool was great, we couldve spent our whole vacation there, and only crossed the street to go to the beach once. There is a lot of shopping in walking distance for the needs of a family- Walgreens, grocery stores. The free breakfast at the hotel was wonderful, the staff was friendly and helpful, the rooms clean. The nearby airport was very loud though, and the hotel is located on a very busy street. Review #77:After reading many good reviews, we used Honors points for a free night before a flight back to Texas. This was the best decision we could have made. The front desk staff were all wonderful. When we checked in, we asked for a room with 2 beds rather than one. Not only were we given this change, but we were also upgraded to a suite. The room was immaculate and had every ammenity anyone could want. We used our room towels for the pool & upon heading back to our room, we asked for more towels. The towels arrived immediately after we got to our room. The pool was nice as was the pool swim up bar. We decided to go to Metrapol for dinner (good choice) but we were told by 3 other guests that the hamburgers were the best they had ever had....no exceptions. One guest said that he had been there 3 days and had eaten hamburgers at the pool bar 4 times! We heard a plane when we were in the pool. It did require that we stop our conversation for about 15 to 20 seconds. We did not consider this a major inconvenience. We never heard anything when we were in our room. Review #78:Stayed at the Hampton Inn one night pre-boarding Royal Caribbean. Quick $10 cab ride (+ $1/bag) to hotel. Then $19 cab ride to Pan American pier. Dropped our bags off at ship and took another cab to Old San Juan for $15. Wish we had more time in San Juan to visit more attractions. Cabs are zoned and accessible Review #79:My boyfriend and I booked the Hampton Inn for 2 nights pre-cruise. We were very happy with this hotel. The price was much cheaper than most other hotels in the area. Though the area is expensive as a whole. The hotel was clean, the bed was very comfortable, the breakfast was better than adequate, the pool bar area & grill were very nice also. The burgers are huge and juicy. We walked about a block or 2 to Isla Verde beach which was very nice. We also took the bus into Old San Juan. You catch it out front for .75 cents. I would not suggest it. Pay the extra money and take the cab. The bus was packed wall to wall people and the driver had people flying all over the place because he drove crazy. It also took triple the time as the cab ride home. We waited at least 30-40 minutes for the bus to pick us up also and the locals told us that is the norm because the drivers get paid either way so have no incentive to be on time. We did not have any problems with air conditioning in our room. Ours worked very well. It was freezing in the room. We also had no problems getting pool towels. They had an area at the pool whee u get get towels/dispose of towels. The grill outside does run out of things (certain beer,etc) but we just chose something else then. All in all we had a very good time here and would stay at the Hampton Inn again. Review #80:The location of this hotel is very good (assuming you have a car) and parking is $5.00/night which is very good. However, the rooms are worn down and not very clean. The sheets look old and with stains. It has a free breakfast, but it is clearly food that is tailored to the American tourist (e.g. Bagel with cheese/bacon/pizza souce on top, Muffins, etc... (thought it had fruits, which was good). In general, this hotel it's simply too expensive for what it is. Review #81:I have stayed at many Hilton-owned San Juan Hotels and I was so pleased to find that this Hilton run Hampton Inn has the same high Hilton standards. Wonderful staff, clean rooms, plentiful breakfast and most of all, a really nice crowd of people! I love that this is a non-Casino hotel, but there are many casino's nearby if that's your thing. I found it easy to take the bus to/from Old San Juan from here and it's literally across the street from the beach but their pool was a quiet beautiful spot. I will definitely return!!! Book a room here without hesitation, you'll be pleased! Thank you Front Desk, Bell staff, Housekeeping and Breakfast staff --you are really doing a great job!! ! Review #82:I stayed here several times. It is far the best hotel in the Isla Verde area. The airport is right behind the hotel. The only blemish. The rooms are clean and the breakfast is really good. I will absouletly recommend this hotel for anyone staying in the San Juan Review #83:Would definitely stay here again. Great linens and bed! You can eat your complimentary (nice, large selection of items) breakfast outside by the pool if you like. Fairly expensive, but all the hotels are. A selection of restaurants within a few blocks that you can walk to. Good beach also within walking distance. You can walk to a bustop that will take you to Old San Juan (about 45 minutes) for $.75 exact change. Taxi to airport was about $16.00+ - seem to have a standard rate, same each way. Review #84:We were able to get a great rate on a king suite back in November. The front desk staff was friendly and helpful. The room had two HDTVs and separate sleeping and living/dining areas. Parking was free since the gate was malfunctioning. Breakfast was okay, but was for gringos. Our only real incident was that or toilet got backed up one afternoon, but maintenance and housekeeping dealt with it right away. Review #85:The staff at the hotel was great! Anytime we needed directions or suggestions they were happy to help. The room was clean and updated, more then we expected. The breakfast every morning was definitly a plus. Safe and fun. Will definitly stay agian. Review #86:Our room had a water leak and they moved us down the hall.The breakfast was OK but on the way back to room, a large roach crossed in front of me.The location was good but it rained and the water flooded the exit of parking lot.Pool was very small,no hot tub. Review #87:This is a nice hotel and is currently undergoing some renovation/improvements (as of 10/2011) so it should be even nicer, BUT that won't change the fact that this hotel is in a strange, cramped, and less than \"resort like\" neighborhood. Right next to a cock fighting arena, it is difficult to see unless you know exactly what you are looking for. I had gone to the Hampton website numerous times before our trip, but when driving in the neighborhood of the hotel I missed it twice while driving right past it. The hotel does not offer a shuttle so you will pay $10 for a taxi from the airport. The breakfast was great. The pool is nice but VERY busy. Review #88:Visited San Juan this past weekend and I must say that this hotel is awesome. It was very clean, affordable, attractive and the staff was professional. Room was nicely decorated, always filled with fresh towels and linen. The bed was sooooo comfy!!! The pool bar is the best. The price of food and drinks at the poolside bar is definetely affordable and great. (Try the grilled chicken breast and the prime ribs). The computer lab is clean, nice and free with internet. The staff was always attentive to every need, friendly and professional. It is centrally convienient to restarants, walgreens, a supermarket, casino's and most all 2 blocks away from the beach!!!! The breakfast was not the greatest, but was ok. Consider Dennys for breakfast which is located across the street on the second day of your stay or wait until lunch time and get food at the pool bar... The only thing i would recommend is The walls in the bedrooms just need a lil touch up with painting. Improve the breakfast choices. Review #89:Recently stayed here for a week, and had a very good time. We arrived early in the morning, and they were very accommodating, letting us check in early. We had a suite with a king bed, and it was very comfortable, had very good sleeps. Every time we went down to the front desk to ask about a restaurant or something, they were very helpful and sure to make sure we had everything we needed.The continental breakfast was good too. Overall we had an excellent stay! ! Review #90:We stayed at this Hotel after we came back from our cruise and this place was very nice. When we got there the rooms were not ready (2 rooms) but it wasn't a very long wait for our rooms. While we waited they stored our luggage for us and told us we could use all the facilities, pool etc. It has a beautiful pool area with a swim up pool bar & grill you can eat at. The prices were a bit high but the food was good. The rooms were nice, clean and fresh. The staff was very friendly and helpful. This Hotel is across the street from the beach but you just have to walk across the street to the beach and it is handy to the airport, just a few minutes away. There is a Walgreens across the street and just up the street of course is Chili's. Very good place to eat. The Hampton has a continental breakfast but we didn't get a chance to try it because our flight left early in the morning. All in all this was a nice place and I would definitly stay there again. Wish we had booked here before the cruise instead of the ESJ. Review #91:I stayed at the Hampton inn for 7 nights & I loved it! It was nice, quite, & relaxing. The hotel was VERY clean & the rooms were huge. The hotel is positioned in a good spot on the strip so you can walk to different local places. As for the airport noise, you only hear it by the pool & not in your room..BUT you will hear that same noise at any other hotel on that same strip! Trust me, I went visited other hotels. Bottom line, stay here! The food is good, the staff are nice & accomadating, & it's a lovely place. I will stay there again. Review #92:Stay at the Hampton Inn for 4 days and 3 nights. My husband and I went to PR for his 30th birthday. Arrived at the airport 1 hour before the Hotel staff kindly allowed us to check-in early. The Hotel is modern and I think the the atomosphere is very relaxing. The hallway on the floor that we stayed on was never loud it was quiet. Breakfast was excellent and the staff their made sure your needs were met at breakfast time. The pool and hot tub are clean and fun. Towel were provided in the pool area. The beach is a short walk away. DO NOT get a rental car because everything is nearby. The bus is safe and it cost $0.75 to get to Old San Juan and $0.75 back. Very cheap compared to $20 the taxi cost one way. The Casino was modest size and I got luck while there. The night club with the EL San Juan Hotel and Casino is upscale and very nice $20 to get in. Prefect location everything is withing walking distance. Will only stay at this Hampton Inn Next time I travel. Review #93:On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Naomi at the Front Desk, who was very attentive and helpful. She quickly browsed the system and offered us two options for accommodation and gave a summary of an excellent special that was currently on for the King room which had a sitting area as well. Excellent upsell because the room was very spacious and clean for just an additional US$10. Naomi knew her stuff - in both English and Spanish! The facilities were very well kept and the Housekeeping was outstanding. The room was ready right away, which is always a plus. The complimentary breakfast was good and other bonuses like newspapers were readily available. It would be an excellent choice for business travellers, but is equally suitable for couples and families. Excellent surroundings, helpful and well-informed team members and good location make this hotel an excellent choice in Puerto Rico. Review #94:Three friends & myself stayed for 1 comfortable night prior to our Princess Cruise. The staff were very friendly & helpful. The location is excellent . Across the road is a pharmacy , grocery shop & a couple of blocks away is the beach although the pool was just fine. We enjoyed a typical Puerto Rican & reasonably priced meal restaurant in a strip mall across from the extremely expensive Intercontinental Hotel . Then we went next door to our restaurant for Ice Cream. The queen beds were definitely comfortable & we slept well . Review #95:Hotel stay was good till a storm came which knocked out the cable and forced me, my wife and 7 month old son to stay in the room and do nothing, not even internet, they say high speed online but your better off not even using it. Was forced to go to the hotel up the street were family was staying (by the way they had no problems during the 3 day storm, cough cough Embassy Suits), so we could actually keep track of the wether (found out a tornado had passed threw). On the 3rd day (today) with no cable or \"internet\" I asked if we could be compensated at all, their answer was they have dvd's. I know no one wants a storm to pass through and mess things up, but come on are you really not going to compensate me paying $130 a night for half a room, take some money off at lease. But thats ok I'll be calling the higher ups in the morning. Review #96:My family stayed overnight before our cruise the next day. This hotel is bigger than the usual Hampton Inns we have here in mainland. The lobby is spacious. And the staff were smiling and willing to help. The room I chose was the suite since there were 3 of us. I was suprised when we entered as the room looked like that of the Embassy Suites. It was just refreshing. The casinos, Walgreens, and restaurants are just across the street. The neighborhood was safe to walk around 9 pm. It is very close to the airport. But there is no shuttle service. I like this hotel and I don't mind coming back. Review #97:I was really surprised. This is not your ordinary Hampton Inn. For instance, there's a big pool, with a pool side bar and grill (open to at least 21:00). They serve real drinks, and grill big burgers, skirt steaks, and prepare other full meals. The place seemed more like a small resort than a \"room only\" hotel. This Hampton is located on a good street, with lots of outside restaurants and bars, all within walking distance. It's close to the airport as well. I would be happy using this hotel for a longer stay. Review #98:We flew from Vieques to San Juan the day before our flight home to the US and stayed in the Hampton Inn while in San Juan. The hotel was great!! The room was clean and comfy, the breakfast and dining area was lovely and the pool was fantastic! Also having the pool bar and grill was a nice relaxing end to our vacation before an early flight home the next day. It is close to SJU airport so you do hear the planes when outside but not from the rooms. I slept great! Also is very close to everything so we walked to dinner and around downtown. Will absolutely stay here again. Review #99:Our family stayed here pre-cruise and post-cruise. It was quite convenient and close to the airport and port. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast had a lot of choices, as are Hampton Inn breakfasts. The lobby of the hotel is beautiful and well maintained. The pool area is nice. I used the business center, has updated computers and free use of the printers which I used to print boarding passes. However, I was very disappointed with the rooms, they were not clean, dark and had a musty odor. The bathrooms were not clean as one would expect. We stayed in a suite and the wet bar area was very unclean. The tiles on the bathroom had mold. I felt disgusted while showering. Both times I stayed there, I felt the same way. The airplane noise was not a problem, could not hear it in the rooms. I was very disappointed with this Hampton Inn solely due to the accommodations, after all that is the most important part of the stay. I will not stay there again. If you are looking for a pre-cruise stay I suggest you stay in Old Town San Juan. The beach across the hotel and down a street was nothing to write home about.", "source": "review_summ", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What was the state of Renewable Energy Group's second quarter financial results in 2019, and what was the key issue affecting the performance?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What are Renewable Energy Group's plans and expectations for renewable diesel?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What measures has the Renewable Energy Group undertaken to improve its performance?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What significant strategic move did the Renewable Energy Group make concerning the management of its feedstock resources in the face of compressing spreads?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What was the reason for the Renewable Energy Group's Q2 adjusted EBITDA result being lower than expected?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: What were the major changes in the company's revenue and costs in Q2?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: How has the company's financial health changed over the past quarter?", "You are asked to act as a member of the Financial Results Conference Call and answer the question: Considering the current market challenges, what strategies or initiatives does the company plan to implement for growth and stability in the future?"], "outputs": ["The Renewable Energy Group's second quarter financial results in 2019 were disappointing, with an adjusted EBITDA of negative $42.3 million. The key issue affecting the performance was the ongoing indecision regarding the reinstatement of the biodiesel mixture excise tax credit (BTC), which had been dragging on for 20 months. We noted this uncertainty had led to a market caught in the middle and depressed realized margins.", "Renewable Energy Group is confident in the outlook for renewable diesel, given the strong demand and good pricing. We plan to focus on renewable diesel for its major investment opportunities and is advancing its potential joint venture with Phillips 66. It expects to make a final investment decision by the end of the year, with the project coming online in late 2022.", "The Renewable Energy Group increased its gallons sold by 15% over the previous year and made improvements in operational efficiency and feedstock flexibility. It also began to see traction in its downstream strategy, including opening a cardlock station, increasing biodiesel blends, converting delivery vehicles to B100 biodiesel, and driving higher margin markets with our proprietary blend of biodiesel and renewable diesel, REG Ultra Clean.", "The Renewable Energy Group didn't specifically indicate a strategic move regarding its feedstock resources amid compressing spreads. It did note that its cost advantage was affected because approximately 75% of its feedstocks are lower-cost feedstocks like used cooking oil, corn oil, and choice white grease, and the spreads between these and other feedstocks compressed.", "The Q2 adjusted EBITDA result was lower than expected due to taking on a greater than the historical portion of the expected BTC (Biodiesel Tax Credit) value this quarter. The result was also impacted by a drop in the average selling price of biodiesel which was due to changes in the field environment related to BTC sharing.", "Despite an increase in total gallons sold, primarily due to renewable diesel and petroleum diesel, the company's revenue declined by 3%. This was due to a decrease in U.S. biodiesel selling price and non-recognition of California LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard) credits in Q2. The cost of goods sold increased due to a rise in the feedstock complex and the compression of lower-cost feedstocks.", "The company's debt-to-capital ratio dropped from 20.6% to 15.2%, the lowest level since Q1 2014. Cash declined due to operations and the settlement of 2019 convertible bonds, and total debt was reduced by lowering the revolver outstanding. As of the end of Q2, we had $61.6 million in cash and $68 million available on lines of credit.", "As mentioned before, we remain focused on improving financial results amidst challenging market conditions. we are delivering on controllable elements of our plan and have put several programs in place that we believe will accelerate growth in the future. We also anticipate that the reinstatement of the BTC will bolster our results and provide capital for future value creation."], "gpt4_outputs": ["Renewable Energy Group's second quarter financial results in 2019 were disappointing, with an adjusted EBITDA of negative $42.3 million, well below expectations. The key issue affecting the performance was the prolonged uncertainty around the biodiesel mixture excise tax credit (BTC), which has led to some customers reaching their limit to take on BTC exposure and consequently, the company accepting lower prompt pricing.\n", "Renewable Energy Group is highly confident in the outlook for renewable diesel, with strong demand and potential new demand in areas like aviation and other incentivized geographies. The company is progressing with its planned joint venture with Phillips 66, expecting to make final investment decisions toward the end of 2019 and having the project come online in late 2022.\n", "Renewable Energy Group has undertaken several measures to improve its performance, including continuously and safely improving production efficiency and maximizing feedstock flexibility to optimize operational profitability. The company is also focusing on its downstream strategy, opening an REG-branded cardlock station and driving higher blends of biodiesel and enhanced margins through its fuel distribution business in Iowa. Additionally, the company has filed for a patent to protect its proprietary blending know-how for REG Ultra Clean diesel.", "In response to the compressing spreads, Renewable Energy Group strategically managed its feedstock resources by increasing its usage of soybean oil when it was cheaper than animal fat on a yield-adjusted basis. This allowed the company to optimize operational profitability by switching feedstock usage across its fleet as pricing dictated.\n", "Renewable Energy Group's Q2 adjusted EBITDA result was lower than expected due to customers reaching their limit to take on BTC exposure, which led the company to capture a higher percentage of the potential BTC upside and continue to produce at high run rates. In turn, the company accepted lower prompt pricing.\n", "In Q2, the company's revenue was slightly down due to a sharp decline in the U.S. biodiesel selling price because of lower ULSD prices and lower RIN prices. On the cost side, the main driver of the increase in cost of goods sold was the overall increase in the feedstock complex, as well as the compression of lower-cost feedstocks.", "Over the past quarter, Renewable Energy Group's financial health has improved, with its debt-to-capital ratio decreasing from 20.6% to 15.2%. This is the lowest level since the first quarter of 2014. The company also reduced its total debt by lowering its revolver outstanding.", "To address the current market challenges, Renewable Energy Group plans to focus on improving financial results, deliver on controllable elements of its plan, and implement several programs that will accelerate growth in the future. This includes making progress in downstream efforts, such as opening the first REG-branded cardlock station and expanding downstream distribution networks, as well as focusing on growth opportunities in renewable diesel."], "claude_outputs": ["The company's second quarter adjusted EBITDA of negative $42.3 million was well below its expectations. The key issue affecting the performance was the indecision around reinstating the biodiesel mixture excise tax credit (BTC). This indecision caused reduced margins and compelled the company to accept lower biodiesel prices to capture a higher percentage of potential BTC benefits.", "The company is highly confident in the outlook for renewable diesel. Demand is very strong and pricing is good. Production volumes at the Geismar plant continue to grow organically. The company is also progressing with its planned joint venture with Phillips 66 for renewable diesel, with final investment decisions expected by the end of 2019.", "The company has taken various self-help actions to improve performance including: growing gallons sold 15% year-over-year, improving production efficiency, maximizing feedstock flexibility, and focusing on its downstream strategy by blending more biodiesel and selling fuel directly to fleet customers.", "The company leveraged its feedstock flexibility to use more lower cost soybean oil compared to the prior year, even though soybean oil spreads had compressed. At times during the quarter, soybean oil was cheaper than animal fat on a yield adjusted basis, so the company switched some production to soybean oil when appropriate. The company said it can switch between feedstocks as pricing dictates, optimizing operational profitability.", "The company took on a greater than historical portion of the expected biodiesel mixture excise tax credit (BTC) value in the quarter, which resulted in lower biodiesel prices. While the estimated BTC benefit was $81 million, the lower biodiesel prices impacted results negatively by $19 million compared to guidance.", "On the revenue side: U.S. biodiesel selling prices were down sharply. The company did not recognize $29 million in California low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) credits due to an administrative delay.\n\nOn the cost side: The increase in cost of goods sold was driven by an overall rise in feedstock costs and compression of lower cost feedstock spreads. Total cost of goods sold rose while revenue declined, resulting in a gross loss.", "\u2022 The company's reported second quarter financial results were disappointing, with adjusted EBITDA much lower than expected at negative $42.3 million.\n\u2022 Margins compressed due to lower biodiesel selling prices, lower RIN prices, and compressed spreads between feedstock costs.\n\u2022 Cash declined due to cash used in operations and cash used to pay off convertible bonds.\n\u2022 The company's debt-to-capital ratio improved to 15.2%, the lowest level since 2014, driven by reducing revolver outstanding with working capital changes.", "\u2022 The company is focusing on expanding its downstream strategy of selling directly to end users through initiatives like cardlock stations and fuel distribution, which can drive higher biodiesel blends and margins.\n\u2022 The company sees growing demand and opportunities for renewable diesel. It is progressing on a potential joint venture with Phillips 66 for renewable diesel production.\n\u2022 The company is managing capital investments carefully in the current environment while continuing to invest in high return projects.\n\u2022 The company is implementing programs it believes will accelerate future growth once the uncertainty around the Biodiesel Tax Credit is resolved."], "input": "Greetings, and welcome to the Renewable Energy Group Second Quarter 2019 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Todd Robinson, Treasurer. Thank you, sir. You may begin.\nTodd Robinson Speaking.\nThank you, operator. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to our second quarter 2019 earnings conference call. With me today is our President and Chief Executive Officer, CJ Warner; and our Chief Financial Officer, Chad Stone.Let me cover a few housekeeping items before I turn the call over to CJ. First, I would like to remind everyone that this call is being webcast and is available at the Investor Relations section of our website at regi.com. A replay will be available on our website beginning later this afternoon. The webcast includes an accompanying slide deck for your reference. This will appear automatically with the webcast, but you will need to advance the slides manually as we prompt you. For those of you dialing in, the slide deck can be downloaded, along with the earnings press release in the Investor Relations section of our website.Turning to Slide 3. We would like to advise you that some of the information discussed on this conference call will contain forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance. The company's actual results could differ materially from those contained in such statements. Several factors could cause or contribute to those differences. These factors are described in detail in the Risk Factors and Other sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are on file with the SEC.These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this call. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements based on new information or revised expectations. Today's discussion also includes non-GAAP financial measures. We believe these metrics will help investors assess the operating performance of our core business. Please see the press release or the appendix to the accompanying slide deck for a reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measure.With that, let me turn the call over to CJ Warner. CJ?\nCJ Warner Speaking.\nThank you, Todd, and good afternoon to those on the call. I will discuss our second quarter high-level results, margin and regulatory environment and operating highlights. And then Chad will provide more details on our financial results. Then I will come back to discuss our outlook.Our second quarter reported financial results were disappointing as we and the entire industry navigated through a very low margin environment. These results do however reflect a continuing strong underlying operating performance.As reflected on Slide 4, our second quarter adjusted EBITDA of negative $42.3 million was well below our expectation. Since we provided guidance at the last earnings call, customer sentiments around the biodiesel mixture excise tax credit, otherwise known as BTC has started to shift. The decision is to whether or not to reinstate the BTC has dragged on for 20 months. One of the resulting effects is that some customers are telling us that they are reaching their limit to take on BTC exposure. This has enabled us to capture a higher percentage of the potential BTC upside and continue to produce at high run rates. In turn, however, we have accepted lower prompt pricing.Slide 5 puts the adjusted EBITDA results in context with our previous guidance. We came in at the high-end of guidance on volume, much lower on adjusted EBITDA before BTC, higher on capture of potential BTC benefits, and within guidance at the low end of adjusted EBITDA inclusive of potential BTC. Chad will give more details later to reconcile guidance to actual results.Standing back from the quarter, we continue to build a large potential net benefit from the reinstatement of the BTC. If reinstated, our net benefit would be approximately $370 million. That amount represents the potential net BTC benefit for all of 2018, plus the first half of 2019 and represents over $9.50 a share.As I mentioned previously, we are now into the 20th month operating without a decision on the BTC. This is resulting in a market that is caught in the middle. With high confidence in the ultimate reinstatement of the BTC, the market continues to operate as though it is already there, creating a disconnect in pricing and volumes being produced and sold. Simply said, in anticipation of the BTC reinstatement, marginal gallons are not naturally coming off the market, which is depressing realized margins. Once the decision is made about the BTC, one way or the other, we would expect that the market will rapidly adjust for these discrepancies.Equivocation on the BTC has now been dragging on for far too long. We announced two weeks ago that we are closing our new box in Texas biorefinery due to poor economics, driven in large part by the indecision around the BTC and the resulting caught-in-the-middle economic I mentioned earlier. We are disheartened by the associated loss of jobs. We continually monitor margins and unfortunately did not see a near-term path to profitability at new Boston. Its small capacity made it more difficult to operate as efficiently as the other plants in our fleet. This was an important part of our work to continuously strengthen our portfolio and ensure that our resources flow to the highest and best opportunities.We also see others in the industry responding to this low margin environment with reduced capacity and plant shutdowns. We believe that it is likely that this trend would continue with a protracted period of indecision about the BTC.So what is the status of the BTC reinstatement? We were disappointed that yet another tax extenders were not included in the recent budget deal. We believe though that there are other legislative vehicles to get the incentive reinstated before the end of the year and possibly by the end of September. There remains strong bipartisan support for the incentive and we continue to be confident that the BTC will be reinstated.Now back to our financial results, other factors held us to the lower end of guidance, inclusive of potential BTC. Margins were lower than expected in the quarter. As you can see on Slide 6, our key indicators, the spread between heating oil and \u2013 heating oil or ULSD and three feedstocks, soybean oil, otherwise known as the HOBO spread, distillers corn oil, HOCO and Choice White Grease, which is HOG, have all compressed across the quarter. Chad will cover this in more detail presently.In terms of self-help actions, underlying performance continues to be strong. We grew gallons sold 15% over last year, a very solid result. This volume increase offset much of the headwinds of a lower average selling price and the one quarter lag in LCFS income, which we discussed last quarter.We work to continuously and safely improve our production efficiency and to maximize our feedstock flexibility. We believe that both of these are key competitive advantages for us and they both positively influence this quarter's results. Most notably, we've produced 127 million gallons in the second quarter, which is 2.5 million more gallons than Q2 2018. Yet our feedstock usage was identical, we consumed right at a billion pounds in both periods.Some of the efficiency gain is due to operational improvements and some due to feedstock usage. Our feedstock flexibility allowed us to use more soybean oil this quarter compared to the prior year. At times this quarter, soybean oil was cheaper than animal fat on a yield adjusted basis, so we switched some production of soybean oil when and where appropriate. Across most of our fleet, we can switch back and forth as pricing dictates, optimizing operational profitability.We are starting to see real traction in our downstream strategy, which is key to boosting biodiesel demand and margins and we believe therefore we\u2019ll significantly expand our long-term profitability. So let's talk about the progress we are seeing in our downstream efforts.Turning now to Slide 7. In our first quarter earnings call, I mentioned we would be opening our first REG branded cardlock station to drive higher blends of biodiesel and enhance margins. We opened the Seneca cardlock fueling station on July 17 and are pleased with the early progress there as well as the future profit opportunity for REG in selling fueled directly to end users.The other downstream effort I mentioned in the first quarter call with our fuel distribution business in Iowa, which is also driving higher blends of biodiesel and enhancing margins. This business has achieved many promising developments thus far. We have converted several customers from a B5 to a B20 blend. These customers range from a large metropolitan fleet to a mining company to a large utility company. In addition, we continue to convert our own fleet of delivery vehicles to B100. Through these efforts we're proving that B100 biodiesel makes a great fuel and does not need to be blended with petroleum. We believe this demonstrated success will increase overall biodiesel demand, open up new higher margin markets for us and accelerate environmental improvement in the locales, where the fleets operate.As an illustration of why distribution participation makes sense for us; over half the volume we sold in our Iowa fuel distribution business in June were blends of B11 and B20. These blending levels are two to three times the industry\u2019s nationwide on-road biodiesel blending level of 7%. Although it is early days, our direct to fleet sales are growing rapidly, and in second quarter of 2019, they are 250% higher than the second quarter of 2018.The average REG Ultra Clean gallon, our proprietary blend of biodiesel and renewable diesel contained 10% biodiesel for the first six months of 2019. We believe our ability to blend biodiesel with renewable diesel is a real differentiator for REG and uniquely positions us with scale in both products. We've filed for a patent to protect our proprietary blending knowhow. REG Ultra Clean diesel gives us a significant uplift in the value of our biodiesel. These examples of downstream progress indicate why we are focused on this element of our growth strategy.Speaking of growth, we are highly confident in the outlook for renewable diesel. Pricing is good, demand is very strong and new potential demand draws such as aviation and other incentivized geographies are on the horizon. Produced volumes at Geismar continue to grow organically and we continue to advance our work with Phillips 66 on our potential joint venture.As we look at our major investment opportunities, our focus is on renewable diesel. We are progressing with our planned joint venture with P66, which is an important example of how we can grow our renewable diesel business through strategic partnerships. We expect to make final investment decisions toward the end of this year, following completion of scoping design engineering. Our current plan has a project coming online in late 2022.We are carefully managing our capital investments in response to the market environment and are continuing to invest in the key projects that look to provide high returns and long-term growth. Chad will elaborate on capital investments, shortly.Finally, let me provide updates on a few non-operating items. First, we announced the sale of our Life Sciences business to Genomatica. We believe Genomatica is an outstanding home for this business and our former Life Sciences team members who have joined them. We wish them great success as they carry forward our efforts.Secondly, I want to highlight our contribution on the environmental and social fronts. We are very proud of the carbon reduction we achieved in the second quarter. On Slide 10, you can see that the 127 million gallons of low-carbon renewable fuel we produced displaced approximately 850,000 metric tons of CO2. This tremendous environmental benefit is integral to our Fuel Forward strategy.In addition, we maintain a stellar safety track record. Again, achieving zero reportable incidents in the quarter, our 12-month rolling average injury rate through June is at record low levels. The goal to achieve industry leadership is \u2013 this is our goal to achieve industry leadership in this very important KPI.Let me now turn the call over to Chad for the financial update, and then I will return to discuss our guidance and outlook. Chad?\nChad Stone Speaking.\nThank you, CJ, and good afternoon, everyone. Before we review the key line items, I want to summarize our results relative to our guidance. As a reminder, our Q2 adjusted EBITDA guidance excluding BTC and LCFS was a range of negative $10 million to negative $25 million. This was based on a historical ratio of shared BTC benefit with our customers. Our actual result was negative $42 million. As CJ mentioned, this before BTC result is lower than expected because we took on a greater than historical portion of the expected BTC value this quarter.Our estimated BTC benefit was $81 million compared to our guidance estimate of $63 million. If we add adjusted EBITDA and expected BTC benefit together in both the guidance and the result, we would have been within the lower end of our guidance range. Using the guidance midpoint, we were off by $25 million due to assumptions that did not materialize or that changed. The largest item was the field environment related to the BTC sharing resulting in a lower biodiesel average selling price in higher estimated net BTC benefit for us. The drop in biodiesel average selling price impacted our results negatively versus guidance by $19 million.Now let's turn to results, starting with Slide 12. The increase in total gallons sold was driven mainly by renewable diesel and petroleum diesel. Biodiesel gallon sold were basically flat. We did have substantial growth in the resale of petroleum based diesel due to more blending as we expand our downstream distribution network. The solid volume growth was offset by a few items resulting in revenue being down 3%. U.S. biodiesel selling price was down sharply due to lower ULSD prices as well as lower RIN prices.As we discussed last quarter, due to a change in California\u2019s administrative process, we did not recognize California LCFS credits in the second quarter, which is the one time impact resulting in $29 million of revenue and adjusted EBITDA recognition pushed into the third quarter. California LCFS prices remain robust due to strong demand. Furthermore, the value for Oregon, LCFS credits have increased dramatically and averaged over $150 per metric ton for the quarter. In last week, we were notified that Oregon approved our lower carbon intensity scores or Grays Harbor, which we expect will improve margins there. To summarize, the slight decline in revenue, renewable diesel revenue was up strong, well by diesel LCFS and RIN saw lower revenue.Turning now to costs, the main driver of the increase in cost of goods sold was the overall increase in the feedstock complex as well as the compression of lower cost feedstocks. Total cost of goods sold was up while revenue declined resulting in a gross loss. The spreads compressed between these feedstocks year-over-year, since approximately 75% of our feedstocks are lower cost feedstocks like, it's still their corn oil and choice white grease, our typical cost advantage was compressed. Our SG&amp;A expenses were up slightly due mainly to legal costs associated with our potential joint venture with P66 and the Life Sciences divestiture.On Slide 13 and 14, you can see our trailing 12-month adjusted EBITDA and return on invested capital. The light blue on the bar chart reflects the net benefit if the BTC is reinstated. Our business is seasonal and we believe trailing 12-month results are a better reflection of our long-term earnings power.Now please move to the balance sheet on Slide 15. Cash declined from the cash used in operations as well as cash used to settle our 2019 convertible bonds in June. We paid cash for the principal and issued stock for the premium. We brought down total debt even more in the quarter by reducing our revolver outstanding. We funded the revolver reduction with working capital changes and the main item being selling product out of inventory, which is normal for this seasonal period.Looking at our liquidity, we had $61.6 million of cash at the end of the quarter, and we had $68 million available on our lines of credit at the end of June. In early July, we expanded our asset backed line of credit and our option to increase the maximum borrowing amount through October from $150 million to $175 million or to $200 million contingent upon the BTC reinstatement.We settled the 2019 convertible bond in June. We paid off $67.4 million of principal with cash and issued 1.9 million treasury shares to settle the premium. We did receive back 625,000 shares from the capped calls, so the net shares issued were 1.3 million shares. The treasury shares we issued were previously repurchased at an average price of $9.87 per share. We did not \u2013 refinance the convertible bonds which delivered our balance sheet.As you can see on Slide 16, our debt-to-capital ratio is now 15.2% down from 20.6% from last quarter and down from 19.5% at the end of 2018. The 15.2% debt-to-capital ratio is the lowest level since the first quarter of 2014.Now let's touch on CapEx. We invested $9.8 million in the second quarter, mainly on growth and high return projects, and year-to-date we've invested $8 million of our original $65 million to $75 million budget. We have been consciously slowing our CapEx outlay to better manage cash flow in the absence of the BTC. Our effective tax rate for 2019 is expected to be less than 1% and going forward we expect our tax rate to continue to be less than 5% for the foreseeable future, and our blended average interest rate is less than 4%.Now I'll turn the call back to CJ to discuss the outlook. CJ?\nCJ Warner Speaking.\nThanks, Chad. And I'd like to just make a quick correction, the year-to-date investment of CapEx is $18 million versus that $65 to $75 budgets It was just a quick mix here.Let me refer to Slide 20 for our guidance. For the third quarter of 2019, we expect gallons sold in the range of 185 million to 205 million gallons. We do anticipate the margin environment to continue to be challenging in the third quarter as the uncertainty is prolonged around BTC and due to RIN price suppression that we believe is caused by RFS small refinery exemptions.On a positive note, we've seen modest increases in RIN prices recently with plant closure announcements from us as well as the Flint Hills Beatrice, Nebraska plant. The third quarter will include $29 million of California LCFS credit. With all that in mind, we are projecting adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $3 million to $18 million. In keeping with the trend, we have experienced on BTC sharing, we estimate that third quarter adjusted EBITDA would be approximately $80 million higher if the BTC were reinstated on term similar to past years.This estimate for the third quarter is based on actual performance through last week and takes into account existing forward contracts expected to be fulfilled, and existing spot margin through the end of the quarter. Any changes to the ULSD prices, margins, RINs or LCFS credit values, or a level of market volatility through the end of the quarter, could affect actual results.We have included $1 million of risk management gains in our guidance, which reflects our estimate for the quarter as of July 23, based on the ULSD forward curve. Our full year guidance reflects the continued challenging market environment. We now estimate that gallons sold will be in the range of 715 million to 740 million and gallons produced to be in the range of 510 million to 540 million. These have been reduced from prior guidance due primarily to the New Boston closure and reduced third-party trading.To wrap up, we remain focused on improving financial results in this very challenging margin environment. With the expected BTC reinstatement, our results will be strong and will provide the intended capital to fuel value creation. In the meantime, we continue to deliver on the controllable elements of our plan and I put in place several programs that we believe will accelerate growth in the future. We remain confident in our long-term earnings power and the value we continue to create.Now, before we close, Todd's going to mention upcoming investor events for REG. Todd?\nTodd Robinson Speaking.\nThanks CJ. Please turn to Slide 21. We will present at the Canaccord 39th Annual Growth Conference on August 7th in Boston. Attendance at this conference is an invitation-only. So please contact your Canaccord sales representative if you want to attend or schedule one-on-one meetings with us.We will also be attending the BWS Financial Growth and Value Summer Investor Conference on August 13th and the Seaport Global Securities Annual Energy and Industrials Conference on August 28 in Chicago. Attendance at these conferences is invitation-only. So please contact your sales representative if you want to attend or schedule one-on-one meetings with us.We pre-recorded our comments this quarter as C.J. had an unavoidable and unexpected personal matter to attend to. She will not be available for the remainder of this call. Chad will lead the Q&amp;A session and we will have other members of the senior leadership team on the call to answer questions as needed. Operator? We will now open it up to Q&amp;A. Please proceed.\n", "source": "financial", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Expiration Date\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: On what date will the contract's initial term expire?", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Renewal Term\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: What is the renewal term after the initial term expires? This includes automatic extensions and unilateral extensions with prior notice.", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Competitive Restriction Exception\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: This category includes the exceptions or carveouts to Non-Compete, Exclusivity and No-Solicit of Customers above.", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Volume Restriction\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: Is there a fee increase or consent requirement, etc. if one party\u2019s use of the product/services exceeds certain threshold?", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Non-Transferable License\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: Does the contract limit the ability of a party to transfer the license being granted to a third party?", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Affiliate License-Licensee\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: Does the contract contain a license grant to a licensee (incl. sublicensor) and the affiliates of such licensee/sublicensor?", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Warranty Duration\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: What is the duration of any\u00a0 warranty against defects or errors in technology, products, or services\u00a0 provided under the contract?", "Highlight the parts (if any) of this contract related to \"Insurance\" that should be reviewed by a lawyer. Details: Is there a requirement for insurance that must be maintained by one party for the benefit of the counterparty?"], "outputs": ["This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue in effect for a period of five (5) years from the Reseller's first purchase order for Product issued to Todos (the \"Initial Term\"), unless terminated earlier by one of the parties in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.", "Thereafter, at the end of each renewal term, the Agreement shall renew for an additional two (2) years unless one party provides the other party with prior written notice of non-renewal at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term.", "If the Reseller sells less than 50% of any year's Annual Milestone, Todos, in its sole discretion, may either (a) cancel the Reseller's exclusivity, and market, distribute, and sell the Products in the Territory directly or indirectly through other distributors and resellers, while leaving the Reseller with a non-exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products for the remainder of the term, or (b) terminate the Agreement upon one hundred eighty (180) days prior written notice, provided that the Reseller does not cure its failure to achieve 50% of the applicable year's Annual Milestone within the 180-day notice period.", "Todos shall ship ordered Products to the Reseller within ninety (90) days of Todos's acceptance of the applicable purchase order DAP Reseller's warehouse (Incoterms 2010), provided that Reseller's order for the Products does not deviate from the applicable Forecast by more than ten percent (10%).", "Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Todos hereby grants the Reseller a non-sublicensable, non-transferable, exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products to Customers in the Territory; provided, however, that Reseller may sub-license or transfer its distribution rights to a subsidiary or affiliate of the Reseller.", "The Reseller shall be entitled to enter into agreements with its subsidiaries and affiliates to act as sub-distributors and/or selling agents of the Products in the Territory.", "Todos warrants that for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery of each Product to the Reseller, the Product, except for those components that have a shorter expiration date as set forth on Exhibit A, shall perform substantially in accordance with the Product's documentation and specifications, and shall be free from all defects in materials, manufacture, and workmanship.", "Each party shall carry appropriate and commercially reasonable amounts of insurance adequate for the activities detailed in this Agreement, as well as sufficient levels of all legally mandated insurance, if any."], "gpt4_outputs": ["The parts related to \"Expiration Date\" in this contract are found in Section 11.1. The contract's initial term will expire five (5) years from the Reseller's first purchase order for the Product issued to Todos.", "The parts related to \"Renewal Term\" in this contract are also found in Section 11.1. After the initial term expires, the Agreement shall automatically renew for an additional five (5) years, provided that the Reseller has achieved the Annual Milestones. Thereafter, at the end of each renewal term, the Agreement shall renew for an additional two (2) years unless one party provides the other party with prior written notice of non-renewal at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term.", "The parts related to \"Competitive Restriction Exception\" in this contract are found in Section 4.12, where the Reseller shall not market, distribute, or sell any product that competes with the Products, nor provide services to any direct competitor of Todos.", "The parts related to \"Volume Restriction\" in this contract are found in Section 2.1 and 2.2. If the Reseller sells less than 50% of any year's Annual Milestone, Todos, in its sole discretion, may either (a) cancel the Reseller's exclusivity, and market, distribute, and sell the Products in the Territory directly or indirectly through other distributors and resellers, while leaving the Reseller with a non-exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products for the remainder of the term, or (b) terminate the Agreement upon one hundred eighty (180) days prior written notice, provided that the Reseller does not cure its failure to achieve 50% of the applicable year's Annual Milestone within the 180-day notice period.", "Section 1.1 of the Agreement states, \"Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Todos hereby grants the Reseller a non-sublicensable, non-transferable, exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products to Customers in the Territory...\"", "Section 1.1 also mentions, \"...provided, however, that Reseller may sub-license or transfer its distribution rights to a subsidiary or affiliate of the Reseller.\"", "Section 7.1 of the Agreement mentions the warranty duration, \"Todos warrants that for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery of each Product to the Reseller, the Product...shall perform substantially in accordance with the Product's documentation and specifications, and shall be free from all defects in materials, manufacture, and workmanship.\"", "Section 8 of the Agreement states, \"Insurance. Each party shall carry appropriate and commercially reasonable amounts of insurance adequate for the activities detailed in this Agreement, as well as sufficient levels of all legally mandated insurance, if any.\""], "claude_outputs": ["Section 11.1 states: \"This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue in effect for a period of five (5) years from the Reseller's first purchase order for Product issued to Todos (the \"Initial Term\"), unless terminated earlier by one of the parties in accordance with the terms of this Section 11.\"", "Section 11.1 states: \"Upon completion of the Initial Term, provided that the Reseller has achieved the Annual Milestones, the term of the Agreement shall be automatically renewed for an additional five (5) years. Thereafter, at the end of each renewal term, the Agreement shall renew for an additional two (2) years unless one party provides the other party with prior written notice of non-renewal at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term.\"", "Based on my review of the contract, there do not appear to be any explicit exceptions or carveouts to non-compete, exclusivity, or no-solicit of customers provisions. Section 1.2 states that the Reseller shall not market, distribute, or sell the Products outside of the Territory, but there are no exceptions listed to that provision. Similarly, Section 1.3 states that Todos shall not market the Products in the Territory except through the Reseller, with no exceptions listed.", "Section 2.1 imposes volume restrictions tied to annual milestones, stating: \"The Reseller's exclusive right to market and sell the Products in the Territory is subject to the Reseller achieving the following milestones by the end of each year this Agreement is in effect (the \"Annual Milestones\").\"\n\nSection 2.2 outlines potential consequences if the volume restrictions are not met.", "1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Todos hereby grants the Reseller a non-sublicensable, non-transferable, exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products to Customers in the Territory; provided, however, that Reseller may sub-license or transfer its distribution rights to a subsidiary or affiliate of the Reseller.", "1.1 ...provided, however, that Reseller may sub-license or transfer its distribution rights to a subsidiary or affiliate of the Reseller.", "7.1 Todos warrants that for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery of each Product to the Reseller, the Product, except for those components that have a shorter expiration date as set forth on Exhibit A, shall perform substantially in accordance with the Product's documentation and specifications, and shall be free from all defects in materials, manufacture, and workmanship.", "Each party shall carry appropriate and commercially reasonable amounts of insurance adequate for the activities detailed in this Agreement, as well as sufficient levels of all legally mandated insurance, if any."], "input": "Exhibit 4.10 MARKETING AND RESELLER AGREEMENT (the \"Agreement\") THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 20t h day of December 2018 (the \"Effective Date\"), by and between Todos Medical Ltd., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Israel, with an address at 1 Hamada St., Rehovot, Israel (\"Todos\") and Care G. B. Plus Ltd., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Israel, with an address at Rechov HaYasmin 50, Carmei Yosef, Israel (the \"Reseller\"). WHEREAS, Todos has developed and owns a proprietary blood screening test for the early detection of certain forms of cancer which consists of a Physician Kit (for collecting blood samples) and a Lab Kit (for separating plasma and mononuclear cells in the blood samples) which consists of an Isolation Kit and an Analysis Kit, all as more fully described on Exhibit A attached hereto (the \"Products\"), as well as a proprietary algorithm for the analysis of the blood samples data; and WHEREAS, the Reseller is interested in marketing, distributing, and reselling the Products to customers located in and taking delivery in the State of Israel, including the territory of the Palestinian Authority, (the \"Territory\" and the \"Customers\"), all in accordance with the terms set forth herein; NOW THEREFORE in consideration of the agreements, covenants, and conditions hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows: 1. Grant of Rights 1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Todos hereby grants the Reseller a non-sublicensable, non-transferable, exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products to Customers in the Territory; provided, however, that Reseller may sub-license or transfer its distribution rights to a subsidiary or affiliate of the Reseller. The Reseller shall have a right of first refusal to include within this Agreement any additional products developed, manufactured, or sold by the Company following the Effective Date that are not currently included in Exhibit A, and upon the exercise of such right, the term \"Products\" shall be expanded to mean such additional products as well. For purposes of clarity, the parties agree that upon Todos's development of a blood screening test for colon cancer, such product shall be added to this Agreement and included within the definition of \"Products\", subject to the Reseller and Todos agreeing on the commercial terms for such product, including the price. 1.2 The Reseller shall not market, distribute, or sell the Products, whether directly or indirectly, to customers outside of the Territory. This Section 1.2 is a fundamental provision of this Agreement. 1.3 Subject to Section 1.4 below, Todos shall not market, distribute, or sell the Products, whether directly or indirectly, to customers inside of the Territory in any manner other than through the Reseller.\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n1.4 Notwithstanding the grant of exclusivity to the Reseller, nothing herein shall derogate from Todos's right to distribute the Products in the Territory for non-revenue producing purposes such as research, testing, evaluation, proof of concept, and clinical trials. 2. Exclusivity 2.1 The Reseller's exclusive right to market and sell the Products in the Territory is subject to the Reseller achieving the following milestones by the end of each year this Agreement is in effect (the \"Annual Milestones\"): Year Annual Milestone(s) Year 1 Not Applicable Each Year Thereafter The parties will agree at the beginning of the year on the Annual Milestone for such year 2.2 If the Reseller sells less than 50% of any year's Annual Milestone, Todos, in its sole discretion, may either (a) cancel the Reseller's exclusivity, and market, distribute, and sell the Products in the Territory directly or indirectly through other distributors and resellers, while leaving the Reseller with a non-exclusive right to distribute and sell the Products for the remainder of the term, or (b) terminate the Agreement upon one hundred eighty (180) days prior written notice, provided that the Reseller does not cure its failure to achieve 50% of the applicable year's Annual Milestone within the 180-day notice period. 3. Duties of Todos 3.1 Todos shall provide technical assistance and advice to support the Reseller's preparation of marketing materials, including technical sales literature, catalogs and the like, to be used in the Territory. 3.2 Todos shall provide the Reseller, at no charge, with initial training relating to the efficient use and operation of the Products as well as instruction regarding use of all associated equipment required to effectively carry out the TM-B1 and TM-B2 cancer screening tests. Additionally, Todos will provide the Reseller with training relating to the handling of all blood samples throughout the screening process, and any and all other training, guidance and support reasonably required to sell the Products in the Territory. 3.3 Todos shall provide the Reseller, at no charge, with technical support relating to the use of the Products. 3.4 Todos shall support the Reseller, at no charge, in providing Customers with scientific data supporting the efficacy of the Products. 3.5 Todos is responsible for obtaining AMAR approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health. 3.6 Todos shall comply with all relevant standards of quality assurance and shall ensure that the Products conform to all Israeli standards and certifications.\n\n2\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n3.7 Todos shall appoint a relationship manager, who shall serve as the primary point of contact with Reseller regarding all maters arising from the business relationship contemplated in this Agreement. 3.8 Todos shall be available for periodic meetings with the Reseller to discuss any issues arising in connection with this Agreement. 3.9 Todos shall fulfill with reasonable dispatch all orders received from the Reseller and accepted by Todos. 3.10 Todos shall refer to the Reseller all Product inquiries and sales opportunities in the Territory that come to the attention of Todos. 4. Duties of the Reseller 4.1 The Reseller shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to market, promote, distribute, and sell the Products to Customers in the Territory, and shall, on its own account, provide a trained and competent sales and marketing team for the efficient promotion and sale of the Products. The Reseller shall achieve the commercialization milestones by the dates set forth in the Commercialization Timetable attached hereto as Exhibit C. 4.2 The Reseller shall be responsible for preparing marketing materials, including technical sales literature, catalogs and the like, to be used in the Territory. All marketing materials shall be subject to the prior written approval of Todos. 4.3 Except for AMAR approval which is the responsibility of Todos, the Reseller shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary governmental, regulatory, and other permits and licenses required to distribute and sell the Products in Israel. Todos shall provide the Reseller with all required assistance in this matter in order to obtain the necessary licenses and permits. 4.4 The Reseller shall be responsible for setting up at least one laboratory in the Territory to support the assay protocol (the \"Laboratory\"), including the provision of a FTIR that is approved by Todos, as further described in Exhibit B. The Reseller shall obtain the prior approval of Todos for all lab equipment. The Reseller will contract with existing certified laboratories in Israel to obtain the blood samples data, subject to the approval by Todos of each such laboratory. 4.5 The Reseller shall be responsible for providing post-sale support services to Customers, and shall, on its own account, provide a trained and competent support team for the efficient support of the Products. The Reseller shall retain a medical doctor to assist with the provision of support services. 4.6 The Reseller shall run a fifty (50) patient pilot trial to evaluate the performance of the Laboratory and the Reseller's support team. 4.7 The Reseller shall follow Todos's protocols in dealing with or handling the Products, including the shipment of blood samples to the laboratory.\n\n3\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n4.8 The Reseller shall, in marketing, selling, and distributing the Products, not make any promises, representations, statements, warranties or guarantees on behalf of Todos or concerning the Products, except as are expressly authorized in writing by Todos. 4.9 The Reseller shall comply at all times with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and industry standards relating to the storage, packaging, marketing, distribution, laboratory work, and sale of the Products in the Territory. 4.10 The Reseller shall appoint a relationship manager, who shall serve as the primary point of contact with Todos regarding all maters arising from the business relationship contemplated in this Agreement. Todos's relationship manager shall meet with Todo no less frequently than quarterly and provide a status report on the Reseller's commercialization efforts. In addition, the Reseller will promptly bring to the notice of Todos any information which it has or which it may receive in future which is likely to be of interest, benefit, or use to Todos in relation to both the marketing of the Products in the Territory and the future market requirements of Customers. 4.11 The Reseller shall provide Todos with feedback for a least one percent (1%) of the consumed tests, including providing the actual screening result (by a yearly base) of each test. 4.12 The Reseller shall not market, distribute, or sell any product that competes with Products, nor provide services to any direct competitor of Todos. 4.13 The Parties hereby declare and confirm their awareness to the fact that to the date of the signing of this Agreement, Todos has yet to sell a single Product and lacks any and all sales experience and/or knowledge of the matter. The Reseller shall act as a pioneer in the sales department and shall share with Todos all the sales experience and information it shall gather in order to help Todos' with its worldwide sales. 4.14 The Reseller shall be entitled to enter into agreements with its subsidiaries and affiliates to act as sub-distributors and/or selling agents of the Products in the Territory. 4.15 The Reseller herby declares its awareness that Todos has not yet acquired the required AMAR approval for distribution of the Products in the Territory nor FDA approval. 5. Ordering, Pricing, and Payment Procedures 5.1 Non-Binding Forecasts. On the first day of each calendar quarter, the Reseller will provide Todos with a non-binding rolling weekly forecast of the Reseller's estimated Product purchase requirements over the upcoming six months (the \"Forecasts\"). 5.2 Orders. From time to time as needed, the Reseller shall provide Todos with firm purchase orders for the Products. Each purchase order shall include the name and address of the Customer. All orders are subject to written acceptance by Todos, which acceptance shall be provided unless the order contains terms that differ from the terms set forth in this Agreement. 5.3 Product Price. The Reseller shall be entitled to purchase the Products from Todos for resale to Customers at a price between US$[ ] and US$[ ], with the actual price to be agreed upon by the Parties (the \"Product Price\"). At the end of each year this Agreement is in effect, the Parties will discuss each party's costs and whether to revise the Product Price. Todos shall provide the Reseller with Products for clinical trials at no charge.\n\n4\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n5.4 Lead Time. The lead time for each Lab Kit is three (3) months, and the lead time for each Physician Kit is one month, provided that Reseller's order for the Products does not deviate from the applicable Forecast by more than ten percent (10%). 5.5 Delivery. Todos shall ship ordered Products to the Reseller within ninety (90) days of Todos's acceptance of the applicable purchase order DAP Reseller's warehouse (Incoterms 2010), provided that Reseller's order for the Products does not deviate from the applicable Forecast by more than ten percent (10%). 5.6 Todos shall provide the Reseller with the screening results and analysis of each customer blood sample data sent to Todos within one business day of receiving the blood sample data. 5.7 Payment for Products. Todos shall invoice the Reseller for all sums due for Products ordered upon shipment of the ordered Products to the Reseller, and the Reseller shall pay such sums by no later than thirty (30) days from the date of shipment. All payments made to Todos shall be in New Israeli Shekels. 5.8 Taxes. Reseller shall be responsible for paying all sales, use, excise, and value-added taxes imposed on the sale or use of the Products. 6. Reporting and Audit Rights 6.1 Books and Records. During the term and for a period of three (3) years following the termination or expiration of this Agreement, the Reseller shall maintain complete books of accounts and records consistent with sound business and accounting principles and practices consistently applied. 6.2 Quarterly Reports. Within fifteen (15) days of the end of each quarter, the Reseller shall provide Todos with a written report of (a) the quantities of Products distributed, sold, or otherwise transferred; the prices at which the Products were sold; and payments received therefore; and (b) the identity and location of all Customers to whom Products were sold, during the preceding quarter (each a \"Quarterly Report\"). 6.3 Audits. Todos shall have the right to have an inspection and audit of all the relevant accounting and sales books and records of Reseller conducted by an independent auditor reasonably acceptable to both parties. Any such audit shall be upon five (5) days prior written notice and shall be conducted during normal business hours. If any such audit should disclose any material error in the Quarterly Reports or any resale of the Products by Reseller in contravention of the terms of this Agreement, in addition to any other remedies to which Todos shall be entitled, Reseller shall promptly reimburse Todos for the reasonable cost of the audit. 6.4 On-Site Inspections. Todos shall have the right to conduct periodic on-site inspections to ensure the quality control of the cancer screening processes and the Reseller's compliance with Todos's protocols.\n\n5\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n6.5 Medical Device Reporting. The Reseller shall provide Todos with reports of any adverse events and product problems in accordance with the Mandatory Medical Device Reporting regulations of 21 CFR 803. 7. Warranties 7.1 Performance Warranty. Todos warrants that for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery of each Product to the Reseller, the Product, except for those components that have a shorter expiration date as set forth on Exhibit A, shall perform substantially in accordance with the Product's documentation and specifications, and shall be free from all defects in materials, manufacture, and workmanship. Todos shall correct or repair any reported non-conformity or defect, or replace the non-conforming Product with a Product that conforms to this warranty. 7.2 Non-Infringement. Todos represents and warrants to the Reseller that Todos has full right to produce and sell the Products as contemplated by this Agreement, and that the Reseller's exercise of the resale rights granted herein will not violate any copyright, patent, or other proprietary right of any third party. 7.3 EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES STATED IN THIS SECTION 7, TODOS DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, INLCUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF MERCHANTABLE QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY, DURABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO REPRESENTATION OR OTHER AFFIRMATION OF FACT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STATEMENTS REGARDING PERFORMANCE OF THE PRODUCTS, WHICH IS NOT CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT, SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A WARRANTY BY TODOS. 8. Insurance. Each party shall carry appropriate and commercially reasonable amounts of insurance adequate for the activities detailed in this Agreement, as well as sufficient levels of all legally mandated insurance, if any. 9. Intellectual Property 9.1 Reseller acknowledges and agrees that any and all proprietary rights, trade secrets, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, patents, know-how, and other intellectual property rights used or embodied in, related to, or associated with the Products, including all developments, modifications, enhancements, improvements, and derivative works thereof, and all documentation with respect thereto, are and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Todos or its licensors. 9.2 Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Todos hereby grants Reseller a limited license to use the Todos name and Todos's trademarks, trade names, service marks, logos and related symbols (the \"Todos Marks\") in the performance of its activities hereunder and in the marketing of the Products in the Territory. The Reseller's use of the Todos Marks shall be subject to Todos's prior approval. The Reseller will use Todos's designated trademarks, trade names, and intellectual property related notices on or in all marketing materials and packaging, and the Reseller shall market and sell the Products under the Todos brand name. The Reseller will not register or take other action with respect to any Todos Mark used anywhere in the world by Todos, except to the extent authorized in writing by Todos in advance.\n\n6\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n9.3 Reseller shall immediately bring to the attention of Todos any improper or wrongful use of Todos's trademarks or other intellectual or commercial property rights which come to the notice of Reseller, and will, in the performance of its duties hereunder, use every effort to safeguard the property rights and interests of Todos, and will, at the request and cost of Todos, take all steps required by Todos to defend such rights. 9.4 Reseller acknowledges that it does not have and that it will not obtain any proprietary interest in the Todos Marks and agrees not to use the same in any other manner and to discontinue all use thereof immediately upon termination of the Agreement. 10. Confidentiality 10.1 Any technical, scientific, design, or commercial information transferred by one Party to the other under this Agreement which is identified as confidential or which may reasonably be deemed to be confidential, shall be considered confidential and shall be maintained in confidence by the receiving party. In addition, each party shall comply with all applicable health care privacy rules and regulations and maintain the confidentiality of all health care and patient information. 10.2 The receiving party shall maintain in confidence and protect the secrecy of all confidential information of the other Party, and agrees that it shall not disclose, transfer, use in an unauthorized manner, copy, or allow access to any such confidential information to any employees, agents, or third parties, except for those who have a need to know such confidential information to fulfill the purposes of this Agreement, and who are bound by contractual obligations of confidentiality and limitation of use sufficient to give effect to this Section 10. In no event shall the receiving party disclose any of the other Party's confidential information to any competitor of the disclosing party. 10.3 The receiving party shall use the same degree of care to avoid publication, unauthorized disclosure, and unauthorized use of such confidential information as it applies with respect to its own confidential information (but no less than reasonable care), and shall take all reasonable care to ensure that such confidential information is not disclosed to third parties, except insofar as: (a) such confidential information is made public by the disclosing party; (b) such confidential information is in the public domain otherwise than as a consequence of a breach of the obligations herein undertaken; or (c) such confidential information was previously and demonstrably known to the receiving party, or was subsequently independently developed. 10.4 The terms of this Agreement shall be deemed to be confidential information. Each party undertakes that it will not make any announcement or issue any circular or other publicity relating to the existence or subject matter of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement, or the transactions contemplated hereby, without the prior written approval of the other party as to such announcement's/circular's/publicity's content, form, and manner of publication.\n\n7\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n10.5 Each party acknowledges that the unauthorized use, commercialization or disclosure of the other party's confidential information would cause irreparable harm to such other party. The parties acknowledge that remedies at law may be inadequate to redress the actual or threatened unauthorized use, commercialization, or disclosure of such confidential information and that the foregoing restrictions may be enforced by temporary and permanent injunctive relief without necessity of posting bond. In addition, any award of injunctive relief shall include recovery of associated costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees). 10.6 The provisions of this Section 10 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement. 11. Term and Termination 11.1 This Agreement shall be effective as of the Effective Date and shall continue in effect for a period of five (5) years from the Reseller's first purchase order for Product issued to Todos (the \"Initial Term\"), unless terminated earlier by one of the parties in accordance with the terms of this Section 11. Upon completion of the Initial Term, provided that the Reseller has achieved the Annual Milestones, the term of the Agreement shall be automatically renewed for an additional five (5) years. Thereafter, at the end of each renewal term, the Agreement shall renew for an additional two (2) years unless one party provides the other party with prior written notice of non-renewal at least sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the then-current term. 11.2 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, a party may terminate this Agreement upon the occurrence of any of the following events, and such party shall not be liable to the other party for the proper exercise of such right: (a) The other party materially breaches this Agreement and continues in such breach for thirty (30) days after the non-breaching party has given written notice thereof to the other party; or (b) For a period of ninety (90) consecutive days, the other party is declared to be insolvent or is the subject of bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings, whether compulsory or voluntary, or has a receiver, judicial administrator or similar officer appointed over all or any material part of its assets, or any security holder or encumbrance lawfully takes possession of any property of or in possession of the other party, or if the other party ceases to carry on its business. 12. Limitation of Liability 12.1 IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY IS BASED ON BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTIES, FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OR OTHERWISE AND EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.\n\n8\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n12.2 Except with regard to a breach of confidentiality, a party's indemnification obligations hereunder, or infringement of intellectual property rights, either party's total liability to the other party under this Agreement shall be limited to the amounts paid or payable by the Reseller to Todos during the twelve-month period preceding the interposition of the claim. 13. Indemnification 13.1 Todos's Duty to Indemnify. Todos shall defend against any claim or lawsuit by a third party (a \"Claim\") against Reseller to the extent such Claim alleges that the Products infringe any patent, copyright, or trademark or misappropriate a trade secret of a third party, and will indemnify Reseller against all costs, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs) (\"Damages\") awarded against Reseller by a court of competent jurisdiction, or agreed to in a written settlement agreement signed by Todos, arising out of such Claim. Todos shall have no indemnification obligation or other liability for any Claim of infringement arising from (a) use of the Products other than in accordance with this Agreement; (b) modification of the Products or the combination of the Products with any other products, services, or materials if the Products would not be infringing without such modification or combination; or (c) any third party products, services, or materials. If Reseller's use of the Products under the terms of this Agreement is enjoined or Todos determines that such use may be enjoined, then Todos may, at its sole option and expense, either (i) procure for Reseller a license to continue using the Products in accordance with the terms of this Agreement; (ii) replace or modify the allegedly infringing Products to avoid the infringement; or (iii) terminate this Agreement. 13.2 Reseller's Duty to Indemnify. Reseller agrees to defend any Claim against Todos (i) that the Reseller's actions infringe any third party patent, or copyright, or any other proprietary right; or (ii) arising out of any act or omission by Reseller relating to the Products. Reseller will indemnify Todos (and its directors, employees and agents) against all Damages awarded against Todos or agreed to in a written settlement agreement signed by Reseller arising out of such Claim. 13.3 General Indemnity. Each party shall defend and indemnify the other party and its employees, officers, directors and agents against all Damages for Claims for bodily injury, death, or damage to real property or tangible physical equipment, proximately caused by the indemnifying Party in the course of performing this Agreement. 13.4 Conditions to Indemnification. The obligations set forth in this Section 13 shall apply only if (i) the indemnified Party promptly notifies the indemnifying Party in writing of a claim upon learning of or receiving the same; (ii) the indemnified Party provides the indemnifying Party with reasonable assistance requested by the indemnifying Party, at the indemnifying Party's expense, for the defense and settlement, if applicable, of any claim; and (iii) the indemnified Party provides the indemnifying Party with the exclusive right to control and the authority to settle any claim. 13.5 Sole and Exclusive Remedies. THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS IN THIS SECTION 13 ARE THE INDEMNIFYING PARTY'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE OBLIGATIONS, AND THE INDEMNIFIED PARTY'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDIES, WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUCH CLAIMS.\n\n9\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\n14. Relationship of the Parties The parties to this Agreement are independent contractors. No relationship of principal to agent, master to servant, employer to employee, or franchisor to franchisee is established hereby between the parties. Neither party has the authority to bind the other or incur any obligation on the other's behalf. Any agreement for the sale of Products negotiated or executed between the Reseller and a Customer shall be binding upon the Reseller alone. The Reseller is not authorized to, and shall not, enter into any contracts nor make any other commitments on behalf of or in the name of Todos, unless expressly authorized in writing to do so by Todos. Reseller shall not incur any liabilities, obligations, or commitments on behalf of Todos. 15. Miscellaneous 15.1 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including its exhibits, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous statements, representations, discussions, negotiations, and agreements, both oral and written. 15.2 Amendments or Waiver. This Agreement may not be amended or modified except in a writing signed by authorized officers of both parties. No order, invoice, or similar document will modify the terms of this Agreement even if accepted by the receiving party. 15.3 Severability. In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be found to be illegal or unenforceable, this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect, and such term or provision shall be deemed severed unless such severance defeats the purpose of this Agreement or results in substantial injustice to one of the parties. 15.4 No Waiver. Neither of the party's rights to enforce provisions of this Agreement shall be affected by any prior course of dealing, waiver, delay, omission, or forbearance. 15.5 Assignment. This Agreement and the rights granted hereunder shall not be assigned, encumbered by security interest or otherwise transferred by the Reseller without the prior written consent of Todos, except for the assignment or transfer of rights to a subsidiary company or an affiliated company. 15.6 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Israel, and the courts of Tel-Aviv, Israel 15.7 Arbitration. Any dispute, controversy, or claim relating to, connected with, or arising out of this Agreement, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Law, before a single arbitrator to agreed upon by both parties and in lack of such agreement as to the identity of the arbitrator, each side shall be eligible, within 7 days of any notice given by any party to the other, to request that the head of the Tel-Aviv Bar Association appoint said arbitrator. [Remainder of Page Left Blank]\n\n10\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\nIN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives. Todos Medical Ltd. Care G. B. Plus Ltd. /s/ Herman Weiss /s/ Assaf Gold Name: Herman Weiss Name: Assaf Gold Title: CEO Title: Manager Date: 20/12/2018 Date: 20/12/2018 Lists of Exhibits: Exhibit A: The Products Exhibit B: The Laboratory Exhibit C: Commercialization Timetable\n\n11\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\nEXHIBIT A THE PRODUCTS Each unit of Product consists of one Physician Kit and one Laboratory Kit. TM-B1 breast cancer screening test and TB-B2 breast cancer diagnostic test General Information: Physician Kit: Laboratory Kit: The Laboratory Kit consists of the Isolation Kit and the Analysis Kit. Isolation Kit: Item 7 (page 8) in the \"Isolation Kit\" are items that are not provided with the kit and the Reseller is responsible to purchase these items. Analysis Kit: Item 7 (page 8) in the \"Analysis Kit\" are the items that are not provided with the kit and the Reseller is responsible to purchase these items. Components with an expiration date: [please insert]\n\n12\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\nEXHIBIT B THE LABORATORY [please insert description of the laboratory and its components]\n\n13\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019\n\n\n\n\n\nEXHIBIT C COMMERCIALIZATION TIMETABLE Milestone Target Date Todos to obtain AMAR approval Q3 2019 Reseller to set-up a diagnostic Laboratory (internal or external) that complies with the requirements in the TM-B2 Isolation Kit Instruction for Use. Q3 2019 Reseller to commence 30-50 Women Pilot Trial.  Isolation at Reseller's lab, and FTIR analysis at Todos's facility. Q3 2019 Reseller to commence commercial sales. Q4 2019 Todos to provide kits and computer analysis of files. Q4 2019 14\n\nSource: TODOS MEDICAL LTD., 20-F, 3/28/2019", "source": "legal_contract_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Hi I have a federal student loan and am wondering if I could repay it under an income-driven repayment plan?", "I have a FFEL loan.", "Can you tell me if I'm eligible for any loan forgiveness program if I worked for a tribal government in the U.S. ?", "OK good. What do I do if I want to apply for an Income-Driven Repayment Plan?", "I need to figure out who has to recertify or adjust their repayment plan. Who should be in charge of finishing this?", "I see what you mean. I'd like to ask you another question. The REPAYE and ICE Plans. What does my REPAYE and ICR payments look like?", "Is there somewhere where I can learn more about income-driven repayment plans?", "Thank you. Where can I find these pages?"], "outputs": ["You might be able to repayment it under an income-driven repayment plan but it depends on what type of loan you have. Do you have a FFEL Program Loan or a Federal Perkins Loan?", "You might be able to get a Direct Consolidation Loan and then you could repay under the REPAYE plan.", "You may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Read on to see if you can qualify.", "To apply for an Income-Driven Repayment Plan you will have to complete the paper application and provide a paper copy of your most recently filed federal income tax return or IRS tax return transcript.", "Borrowers currently on an IDR Plan who need to recertify or make changes to their repayment plan.", "Your payment is always based on your income and family size, regardless of any changes in your income.", "You can browse our Income-Driven Plans question and answers page for more information.", "On our website."], "gpt4_outputs": ["Yes, you can repay your federal student loan under an income-driven repayment plan. There are four income-driven repayment plans available: Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE), Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (PAYE), Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR), and Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan).", "FFEL Program loans are not directly eligible for income-driven repayment plans. However, if you consolidate your FFEL Program loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan, you may then be able to repay the Direct Consolidation Loan under an income-driven repayment plan such as REPAYE, PAYE, IBR, or ICR Plan.", "Yes, if you are employed by a U.S. tribal government, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. To qualify, you need to make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.", "To apply for an Income-Driven Repayment Plan, you need to submit an application called the Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request. You can submit the application online or on a paper form, which you can get from your loan servicer. Contact your loan servicer if you have any questions or need assistance with the application process.", "Borrowers who are not currently on an IDR Plan and are seeking a lower monthly payment on their federal student loans, as well as borrowers who are currently on an IDR Plan and need to recertify or make changes to their repayment plan, should complete the Income-Driven Repayment process.", "Under the REPAYE and ICR Plans, your payment is always based on your income and family size, regardless of any changes in your income. This means that if your income increases over time, your payment may be higher than the amount you would have to pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan in some cases.", "You can learn more about income-driven repayment plans by browsing the Income-Driven Plans Questions and Answers page on the student aid website.", "You can find the Income-Driven Plans Questions and Answers page on the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/understand/plans/income-driven/questions."], "claude_outputs": ["Yes, most federal student loans are eligible for at least one income-driven repayment plan. These plans allow you to make a monthly payment based on your income and family size, which could be as low as $0 per month if your income is low enough.", "Since you have a FFEL loan, your only option for an income-driven repayment plan is the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan. However, you may be able to consolidate your FFEL loan into a Direct Loan, which would make you eligible for the REPAYE, PAYE, and ICR plans as well.", "Yes, employment with a tribal government would likely qualify you for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. To qualify for PSLF, you need to have Direct Loans, make 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a qualifying employer, and be enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan.", "You need to submit an application called the Income-Driven Repayment Plan Request to your loan servicer. You can apply either online or using a paper form from your servicer. The application will ask for information like your income to determine your eligibility and payment amount.", "Borrowers on an income-driven repayment plan are responsible for recertifying their income and family size annually and submitting an updated repayment plan application to adjust their monthly payment amount.", "Under the REPAYE and ICR plans, your monthly payment amount will always be based on your income and family size, regardless of any changes over time. If your income increases, your payment amount may increase as well, and in some cases it could be higher than the amount you would pay under a 10-year Standard Repayment Plan.", "The documents mention an \"Income-Driven Plans Questions and Answers page\" where you can find more information about the repayment plans.", " I'm sorry, the documents did not provide a link to the specific \"Income-Driven Plans Questions and Answers page.\" They only mentioned that page as a resource for more information."], "input": "\n\nWhat is Income-Driven Repayment? \nIncome - driven repayment IDR plans are designed to make your student loan debt more manageable by reducing your monthly payment amount. If you need to make lower monthly payments or if your outstanding federal student loan debt represents a significant portion of your annual income , one of the following income - driven plans may be right for you : As You Earn Repayment Plan REPAYE Revised Pay Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan PAYE Income - Based Repayment Plan IBR Income - Contingent Repayment Plan ICR Plan \n\nWho should complete this? \nBorrowers not currently on an IDR Plan who are seeking a lower monthly payment on their federal student loans and Borrowers currently on an IDR Plan who need to re - certify or make changes to their repayment plan. \n\nHow many IDR applications do I need? \n\n\nHow long will it take? \nThe entire Income - Driven Repayment process must be completed in a single session. Most people complete the process in 10 minutes or less. \n\nWhat do I need? \nVerified FSA ID \n\nNew Applicants \n\n\nI am not currently on an income-driven plan and I want to apply \nYou can apply for an income - driven repayment plan that limits your payments to a percentage of your income. LOG IN TO START \n\nReturning IDR Applicants \n\n\nSubmit annual re-certification of my income \nTo re - certify for your existing income - driven repayment plan you must provide updated information about your income and family size annually. LOG IN TO START \n\nRecalculate my monthly payment \nIf your income or family size has changed you can request that your income - driven payment be re - calculated to reduce your current monthly payment. LOG IN TO START \n\nSwitch my current plan to a new plan \nIf you are currently enrolled in an income - driven repayment plan and would like to switch to another income - driven repayment plan. LOG IN TO START Preview a read - only version of the complete form \n\n\n\n\nIf your federal student loan payments are high compared to your income, you may want to repay your loans under an income-driven repayment plan. \nMost federal student loans are eligible for at least one income - driven repayment plan. If your income is low enough , your payment could be as low as $0 per month. An income - driven repayment plan sets your monthly student loan payment at an amount that is intended to be affordable based on your income and family size. We offer four income - driven repayment plans : Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan REPAYE Plan Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan PAYE Plan Income - Based Repayment Plan IBR Plan Income - Contingent Repayment Plan ICR Plan If you d like to repay your federal student loans under an income - driven plan , you need to fill out an application. Why pay for help with your federal student loans when your loan servicer will help you for FREE? Contact your servicer to apply for income - driven repayment plans, student loan forgiveness, and more. Learn more about loan servicers. If you're seeking Public Service Loan Forgiveness , you should repay your federal student loans under an income - driven repayment plan. Try This Resource Federal Student Loans : Repaying Your Loans Provides information about federal student loan repayment plan options, finding loan history and loan servicers, and making payments. \n\nHow is my monthly payment amount calculated under an income-driven repayment plan? \nGenerally , your payment amount under an income - driven repayment plan is a percentage of your discretionary income. The percentage is different depending on the plan. The chart below shows how payment amounts are determined under each income - driven plan. Depending on your income and family size , you may have no monthly payment at all. * For the IBR Plan , you're considered a new borrower on or after July 1 , 2014, if you had no outstanding balance on a William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Direct Loan Program loan or Federal Family Education Loan FFEL Program loan when you received a Direct Loan on or after July 1 , 2014. Because no new FFEL Program loans have been made since June 30 , 2010, only Direct Loan borrowers can qualify as new borrowers on or after July 1 , 2014. \n\nHow do I estimate my payment amount? \nUse our Loan Simulator. Loan Simulator provides a comparison of estimated monthly payment amounts for all federal student loan repayment plans, including income - driven plans. This comparison is important because the income - driven plans may not provide you with the lowest payment amount based on your individual circumstances. Your payment may be lower under another repayment plan. \n\nHow long will I be in repayment under each plan? \nIncome - driven repayment plans have different repayment periods. Under all four plans , any remaining loan balance is forgiven if your federal student loans aren't fully repaid at the end of the repayment period. For any income - driven repayment plan , periods of economic hardship deferment , periods of repayment under certain other repayment plans , and periods when your required payment is zero will count toward your total repayment period. Whether you will have a balance left to be forgiven at the end of your repayment period depends on a number of factors, such as how quickly your income rises and how large your income is relative to your debt. Because of these factors , you may fully repay your loan before the end of your repayment period. Your loan servicer will track your qualifying monthly payments and years of repayment and will notify you when you are getting close to the point when you would qualify for forgiveness of any remaining loan balance. If you re making payments under an income - driven repayment plan and also working toward loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness PSLF Program , you may qualify for forgiveness of any remaining loan balance after you've made 10 years of qualifying payments, instead of 20 or 25 years. Qualifying payments for the PSLF Program include payments made under any of the income - driven repayment plans. \n\nAm I eligible for income-driven repayment? \nDefaulted loans are not eligible for repayment under any of the income - driven repayment plans. Find out how to get out of default. \n\nREPAYE Plan \nAny borrower with eligible federal student loans can make payments under this plan. \n\nPAYE and IBR Plans \nEach of these plans has an eligibility requirement you must meet to qualify for the plan. To qualify , the payment you would be required to make under the PAYE or IBR plan based on your income and family size must be less than what you would pay under the Standard Repayment Plan with a 10-year repayment period. If the amount you would have to pay under the PAYE or IBR plan based on your income and family size is more than what you would have to pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan , you wouldn't benefit from having your monthly payment amount based on your income , so you don't qualify. Generally , you'll meet this requirement if your federal student loan debt is higher than your annual discretionary income or represents a significant portion of your annual income. In addition to meeting the requirement described above , to qualify for the PAYE Plan you must also be a new borrower. This means that you must have had no outstanding balance on a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan when you received a Direct Loan or FFEL Program loan on or after Oct. 1 , 2007, and you must have received a disbursement of a Direct Loan on or after Oct. 1 , 2011. \n\nICR Plan \nAny borrower with eligible federal student loans can make payments under this plan. This plan is the only available income - driven repayment option for parent PLUS loan borrowers. Although PLUS loans made to parents can t be repaid under any of the income - driven repayment plans including the ICR Plan , parent borrowers may consolidate their Direct PLUS Loans or Federal PLUS Loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan and then repay the new consolidation loan under the ICR Plan though not under any other income - driven plan. \n\nWill I always pay the same amount each month under an income-driven repayment plan? \nNo. Under all of the income - driven repayment plans , your required monthly payment amount may increase or decrease if your income or family size changes from year to year. Each year you must recertify your income and family size. This means that you must provide your loan servicer with updated income and family size information so that your servicer can recalculate your payment. You must do this even if there has been no change in your income or family size. Your loan servicer will send you a reminder notice when it s time for you to recertify. To recertify , you must submit another income - driven repayment plan application. On the application , you ll be asked to select the reason you re submitting the application. Respond that you are submitting documentation of your income for the annual recertification of your payment amount. Although you re required to recertify your income and family size only once each year, if your income or family size changes significantly before your annual certification date for example, due to loss of employment , you can submit updated information and ask your servicer to recalculate your payment amount at any time. To do this , submit a new application for an income - driven repayment plan. When asked to select the reason for submitting the application , respond that you are submitting documentation early because you want your servicer to recalculate your payment immediately. You re not required to report changes in your financial circumstances before the annual date when you must provide updated income information. You can choose to wait until your loan servicer tells you that you need to provide updated income information at the normally scheduled time. If you choose to wait , your current required monthly payment amount will remain the same until you provide the updated income information. \n\nPAYE and IBR Plans \nUnder these plans , your monthly payment amount will be based on your income and family size when you first begin making payments, and at any time when your income is low enough that your calculated monthly payment amount would be less than the amount you would have to pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan. If your income ever increases to the point that your calculated monthly payment amount would be more than what you would have to pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan, you ll remain on the PAYE or IBR plan , but your payment will no longer be based on your income. Instead , your required monthly payment will be the amount you would pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan, based on the loan amount you owed when you first began repayment under the PAYE or IBR plan. Even if your income continues to increase , your monthly payment will never be more than the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan amount. During any period when your monthly payment is not based on your income , you still have the option of recertifying your income and family size. If you recertify and your income or family size changes so that your calculated monthly payment would once again be less than the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan amount , your servicer will recalculate your payment and you ll return to making payments that are based on your income. \n\nREPAYE and ICR Plans \nUnder the REPAYE and ICR Plans , your payment is always based on your income and family size, regardless of any changes in your income. This means that if your income increases over time, in some cases your payment may be higher than the amount you would have to pay under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan. \n\nWhat will happen if I don t recertify my income and family size by the annual deadline? \nIt s important for you to recertify your income and family size by the specified annual deadline. If you don t recertify your income by the deadline , the consequences vary depending on the plan. Under the REPAYE Plan , if you don t recertify your income by the annual deadline , you ll be removed from the REPAYE Plan and placed on an alternative repayment plan. Under this alternative repayment plan , your required monthly payment is not based on your income. Instead , your payment will be the amount necessary to repay your loan in full by the earlier of a 10 years from the date you begin repaying under the alternative repayment plan, or b the ending date of your 20- or 25-year REPAYE Plan repayment period. You may choose to leave the alternative repayment plan and repay under any other repayment plan for which you are eligible. Under the PAYE Plan, the IBR Plan, or the ICR Plan, if you don t recertify your income by the annual deadline , you ll remain on the same income - driven repayment plan , but your monthly payment will no longer be based on your income. Instead , your required monthly payment amount will be the amount you would pay under a Standard Repayment Plan with a 10-year repayment period, based on the loan amount you owed when you initially entered the income - driven repayment plan. You can return to making payments based on income if you provide your servicer with updated income information, and if your updated income still qualifies you to make payments based on income. In addition to the consequences described above , if you don t recertify your income by the annual deadline under the REPAYE, PAYE, and IBR plans , any unpaid interest will be capitalized added to the principal balance of your loans. This will increase the total cost of your loans over time, because you will then pay interest on the increased loan principal balance. Under all of the income - driven repayment plans , if you don t recertify your family size each year , you ll remain on the same repayment plan , but your servicer will assume that you have a family size of one. If your actual family size is larger, but your servicer assumes a family size of one because you didn t recertify your family size , this could result in an increased monthly payment amount or for the PAYE and IBR plans loss of eligibility to make payments based on income. \n\nWhat types of federal student loans can I repay under an income-driven repayment plan? \nThe chart below shows the types of federal student loans that you can repay under each of the income - driven repayment plans. * If a loan type is listed as eligible if consolidated , this means that if you consolidate that loan type into a Direct Consolidation Loan, you can then repay the consolidation loan under the income - driven plan. For example , only Direct Loans can be repaid under the REPAYE, PAYE, and ICR plans. However , if you consolidate a FFEL Program Loan or Federal Perkins Loan into a Direct Consolidation Loan , you may then be able to repay the Direct Consolidation Loan under the REPAYE, PAYE, and ICR Plan depending on the type of loan that you consolidate. Note that consolidation is not the right choice for all borrowers or all loan types. In particular , you may lose certain loan benefits if you consolidate a Federal Perkins Loan. Find out more about loan consolidation. Only federal student loans can be repaid under the income - driven plans. Private student loans are not eligible. \n\nIs an income-driven repayment plan right for me? \nIncome - driven repayment plans usually lower your federal student loan payments. However , whenever you make lower payments or extend your repayment period , you will likely pay more in interest over time sometimes significantly more. In addition , under current Internal Revenue Service rules , you may be required to pay income tax on any amount that's forgiven if you still have a remaining balance at the end of your repayment period. \n\nHow do I decide which income-driven repayment plan to choose? \nIf you ve decided that an income - driven repayment plan is right for you , you ll want to choose the plan that provides the most benefit to you based on your individual circumstances. Although all four income - driven plans allow you to make a monthly payment based on your income , the plans differ in terms of who qualifies, how much you have to pay each month, the length of the repayment period, and the types of loans that can be repaid under the plan. If you have only Direct Loans , you can choose from all four income - driven repayment plans. If you re not sure which plan to choose , you have the option of requesting the income - driven plan that provides the lowest payment amount. Your servicer will determine which plans you qualify for and will then place you on the plan with the lowest monthly payment. If you have FFEL Program loans , your only income - driven repayment plan option is the IBR Plan. However , if you consolidate your FFEL Program loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan , you ll then have access to the REPAYE, PAYE, and ICR plans. Find out more about loan consolidation. \n\nHow do I apply for an income-driven repayment plan? \nBefore you apply for an income - driven repayment plan , contact your loan servicer if you have any questions. Your loan servicer will help you decide whether one of these plans is right for you. To apply , you must submit an application called the Income - Driven Repayment Plan Request. You can submit the application online or on a paper form, which you can get from your loan servicer. The application allows you to select an income - driven repayment plan by name, or to request that your loan servicer determine what income - driven plan or plans you qualify for, and to place you on the income - driven plan with the lowest monthly payment amount. Note: If you have more than one servicer for the loans that you want to repay under an income - driven plan , you must submit a separate request to each servicer. When you apply , you ll be asked to provide income information that will be used to determine your eligibility for the PAYE or IBR plans and to calculate your monthly payment amount under all income - driven repayment plans. This may be either your adjusted gross income AGI or alternative documentation of income. Your AGI will be used if you filed a federal income tax return in the past two years , and your current income isn t significantly different from the income reported on your most recent federal income tax return. You can provide your AGI in one of the following ways : Apply using the online Income - Driven Repayment Plan Request and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool in the application to transfer income information from your federal income tax return. Use the paper Income - Driven Repayment Plan Request and provide a paper copy of your most recently filed federal income tax return or IRS tax return transcript. If you haven t filed a federal income tax return in the past two years, or if your current income is significantly different from the income reported on your most recent federal income tax return for example, if you lost your job or have experienced a drop in income , alternative documentation of your income will be used to determine your eligibility and calculate your monthly payment amount. You can provide alternative documentation in one of the following ways : If you currently receive taxable income , you must submit a paper Income - Driven Repayment Plan Request with alternative documentation of your income, such as a pay stub. If you currently don t have any income or if you receive only untaxed income , you can indicate that on the online or paper application. In this case , you re not required to supply further documentation of your income. Depending on whether you applied electronically or submitted a paper request form and whether you ve submitted all required documents , it may take your servicer a few weeks to process your request, because they will need to obtain documentation of your income and family size. If you are currently repaying your loans under a different repayment plan , your loan servicer may apply a forbearance to your student loan account while processing your request for an income - driven repayment plan. \n\nWhat other options do I have if I need help repaying my student loans? \nIf an income - driven repayment plan isn t right for you , contact your loan servicer to discuss other repayment options. You may be able to extend your repayment period through the Extended Repayment Plan or through loan consolidation. You may also be able to temporarily suspend repayment through a deferment or forbearance. \n\nWhere can I learn more about the income-driven repayment plans? \nWant more information about the income - driven repayment plans? Browse our Income - Driven Plans Questions and Answers page. \n\n\n\n\nPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) \nIf you are employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not - for - profit organization , you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Keep reading to see whether you might qualify. Alert! If your PSLF application is denied because some or all of your payments were not made under a qualifying repayment plan for PSLF , you might still be eligible for forgiveness through Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Learn more. The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full - time for a qualifying employer. PSLF Resources Public Service Loan Forgiveness PSLF Help Tool Public Service Loan Forgiveness : Employment Certification Form Public Service Loan Forgiveness : Application for Forgiveness Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program FAQ \n\nQualifying for PSLF \nTo qualify for PSLF , you must be employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not - for - profit organization ; work full - time for that agency or organization ; have Direct Loans or consolidate other federal student loans into a Direct Loan ; repay your loans under an income - driven repayment plan; and make 120 qualifying payments. To ensure you re on the right track , you should submit a Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Employment Certification Form annually or when you change employers. We ll use the information you provide on the form to let you know if you are making qualifying PSLF payments. This will help you determine if you re on the right track as early as possible. \n\nQualifying Employment \nQualifying employment for the PSLF Program isn t about the specific job that you do for your employer. Instead , it s about who your employer is. Employment with the following types of organizations qualifies for PSLF : Government organizations at any level U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal Not - for - profit organizations that are tax - exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code Serving as a full - time AmeriCorps or Peace Corps volunteer also counts as qualifying employment for the PSLF Program. The following types of employers do not qualify for PSLF : Labor unions Partisan political organizations For - profit organizations, including for - profit government contractors Contractors : You must be directly employed by a qualifying employer for your employment to count toward PSLF. If you re employed by an organization that is doing work under a contract with a qualifying employer , it is your employer s status not the status of the organization that your employer has a contract with that determines whether your employment qualifies for PSLF. For example , if you re employed by a for - profit contractor that is doing work for a qualifying employer , your employment does not count toward PSLF. Other types of not - for - profit organizations : If you work for a not - for - profit organization that is not tax - exempt under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code, it can still be considered a qualifying employer if it provides certain types of qualifying public services. However , in our experience , few organizations meet these criteria. \n\nFull-time Employment \nFor PSLF , you re generally considered to work full - time if you meet your employer s definition of full - time or work at least 30 hours per week, whichever is greater. If you are employed in more than one qualifying part - time job at the same time , you will be considered full - time if you work a combined average of at least 30 hours per week with your employers. If you are employed by a not - for - profit organization , time spent on religious instruction, worship services, or any form of proselytizing may not be counted toward meeting the full - time employment requirement. \n\nEligible Loans \nAny loan received under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Direct Loan Program qualifies for PSLF. Loans from these federal student loan programs don't qualify for PSLF: the Federal Family Education Loan FFEL Program and the Federal Perkins Loan Perkins Loan Program. However , they may become eligible if you consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan. Student loans from private lenders do not qualify for PSLF. If you consolidate your loans , only qualifying payments that you make on the new Direct Consolidation Loan can be counted toward the 120 payments required for PSLF. Any payments you made on the loans before you consolidated them don t count. The PSLF Help Tool will tell you whether you need to consolidate some or all of your loans. \n\nQualifying Payments \nA qualifying monthly payment is a payment that you make after Oct. 1 , 2007 ; under a qualifying repayment plan ; for the full amount due as shown on your bill ; no later than 15 days after your due date ; and while you are employed full - time by a qualifying employer. You can make qualifying monthly payments only during periods when you re required to make a payment. Therefore , you can t make a qualifying monthly payment while your loans are in an in-school status, the grace period , a deferment , or a forbearance. If you want to make qualifying payments, but you re in a deferment or forbearance , contact your federal student loan servicer to waive the deferment or forbearance. Your 120 qualifying monthly payments don t need to be consecutive. For example , if you have a period of employment with a nonqualifying employer , you will not lose credit for prior qualifying payments you made. The best way to ensure that you are making on - time, complete payments is to sign up for automatic debit with your loan servicer. \n\nCan I qualify sooner by making higher monthly payments? \nNo. If you make a monthly payment for more than the amount you are required to pay , you should keep in mind that you can receive credit for only one payment per month, no matter how much you pay. You can t qualify for PSLF faster by making larger payments. If you want to pay more than your required monthly payment amount , you should contact your servicer and ask that the extra amount not be applied to cover future payments. Otherwise, you may end up being paid ahead , and you can t receive credit for a qualifying PSLF payment during a month when no payment is due. \n\nWhat if I m in AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps, or my loans are being repaid by the U.S. Department of Defense? \nThere are special rules that allow borrowers who are AmeriCorps or Peace Corps volunteers to use their Segal Education Award or Peace Corps transition payment to make a single lump - sum payment that may count for up to 12 qualifying PSLF payments. In addition , borrowers who have lump - sum payments made on their behalf under a student loan repayment program administered by the U.S. Department of Defense may also receive credit for more than one qualifying PSLF payment. \n\nQualifying Repayment Plans \nQualifying repayment plans include all of the income - driven repayment IDR plans plans that base your monthly payment on your income. While payments made under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan are qualifying payments , you would have to change to an IDR plan to benefit from PSLF. Under the 10-year Standard Repayment Plan , your loans will be paid in full once you have made the 120 qualifying PSLF payments and there will be no balance to forgive. Before you change to an IDR plan , however , you should understand that your payment may increase under these plans depending on your income and the amount that you owe. If this is the case for you, and you do not wish to pay this higher amount , then the PSLF Program may not benefit you. The following repayment plans do not qualify for PSLF : Standard Repayment Plan for Direct Consolidation Loans Graduated Repayment Plan Extended Repayment Plan Alternative Repayment Plan \n\nPSLF Process \nBecause you have to make 120 qualifying monthly payments , it will take at least 10 years before you can qualify for PSLF. Important : You must be working for a qualifying employer at the time you submit the application for forgiveness and at the time the remaining balance on your loan is forgiven. If you are working toward PSLF , you should complete and submit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Employment Certification Form often referred to as the ECF annually or when you change employers. If you have made 120 qualifying payments , you should fill out and submit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Application for Forgiveness PSLF application. Either way , we ll use the information you provide on the form to let you know if you are making qualifying PSLF payments. This will help you determine if you re on the right track as early as possible. Alert! If you don t periodically submit the Employment Certification Form , then at the time you apply for forgiveness , you will be required to submit an Employment Certification Form for each employer where you worked while making the required 120 qualifying monthly payments. \n\nPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Help Tool \nThe PSLF Help Tool will help you understand more about the PSLF Program and what you need to do to participate and possibly have your loans forgiven ; help you assess whether your employer qualifies for PSLF ; help you assess whether your loans qualify for PSLF ; help you decide which PSLF form to submit ; and use the information we have about your federal student loans to explain other actions you should or must take if you want to receive PSLF. At this time , the PSLF Help Tool won t allow you or your employer to electronically sign the forms that the tool will generate for you. Therefore , after you complete the PSLF Help Tool process , you will need to print the PDF document that the tool generates, sign it yourself, have your employer sign it, and then submit the form to the PSLF servicer as instructed on the printed PDF document. \n\nEmployment Certification Form Process \nAfter you submit an Employment Certification Form , your loans will transfer to the PSLF servicer. After the PSLF servicer determines how many qualifying payments you made during the period on your Employment Certification Form , you ll receive a letter telling you the number of qualifying payments you have made. The number of qualifying payments you have made will only be updated whenever you submit another Employment Certification Form or PSLF application that documents a new period of qualifying employment. You can find out how many qualifying payments you ve made by logging in to your account with the PSLF servicer and viewing your loan details or by looking on your most recent billing statement. \n\nEmployment Certification \nYour employment can be certified by an official who has access to your employment or service records and is authorized by your employer to certify your employment or your service as an AmeriCorps or Peace Corps volunteer. This will often be someone in the human resources department, though in some cases your direct supervisor or another individual may be authorized to certify your employment. Check with your organization to see who is allowed to certify your Employment Certification Form. \n\nTax on Forgiveness \nAmounts forgiven under the PSLF Program are not considered income by the Internal Revenue Service. Therefore , you will not have to pay federal income tax on the amount of your Direct Loans that is forgiven. \n\nHow to Submit PSLF Forms \nSend the completed form, with your employer s certification, to FedLoan Servicing, the U.S. Department of Education s federal loan servicer for the PSLF Program. You may mail the form to this address : U.S. Department of Education FedLoan Servicing P.O. Box 69184 Harrisburg, PA 17106 - 9184 You may also fax your PSLF application or Employment Certification Form to 717 - 720 - 1628. If FedLoan Servicing is already your servicer , you may upload your PSLF application or Employment Certification Form on their website. \n\nContact for PSLF Questions \nIf you have more questions , review the PSLF FAQ page. If your questions aren't covered on that page , contact FedLoan Servicing at 1 - 855 - 265 - 4038. ", "source": "multidoc_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["I wanted to know what comes next after an appealed claim?", "yes they did and what details about my claim can I view online?", "Now I have a question about multiple party or contested claims. Can you direct me to a website where I can learn more about decision reviews?", "Can I have a representative?", "Is it okay if I ask another question about multiple party or contested claims? Can I get assistance with the actual decision-making process?", "can you tell me where I can get a form to appeal to the board", "and of the appeal options I can choose which would be the fastest one so I can get this over with?"], "outputs": ["We can help you find out what happens after you request a decision review Did the VA schedule an exam for you?", "You can view the details that you filed online, including any evidence that supports your initial claim.", "We have a page for frequently asked questions about decision reviews. I can give you the link", "Your representative ,  if you have one ,  may help you at the hearing .", "A Veterans Service Organization, or VA-accredited attorney or agent can help you request a decision review. I can send you to the page where you can get more information on this", "You can ask a regional office for a copy of this form or you can call the VA toll-free hotline at 800-827-1000, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET, to request a form. ", "If you want a Veterans Law Judge to review your case as quickly as possible, choose a Direct Review."], "gpt4_outputs": [" After an appealed claim, you don't need to do anything while you wait, unless VA sends you a letter asking for more information. If VA schedules exams for you, be sure not to miss them. You can track the status of your appeal online.", "You can view the following details about your claim online: any evidence to support your initial claim, any evidence you've provided, any additional evidence, your claim type, what you've claimed, and your representative for VA claims. Note that you can only upload documents online to support your initial claim, not for an appeal.", "For more information about decision reviews, you can visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on the VA website. Here's the link: https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/faq", "Yes, you can have a representative, such as a Veterans Service Organization or a VA-accredited attorney or agent, to help you request a decision review.", "I apologize, but I am unable to answer questions about REPAYE and ICR Plans as the provided documents do not contain information about those topics.", "To appeal to the Board, you need to fill out the Decision Review Request: Board Appeal VA Form 10182. You can download the form here: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA10182.pdf", "The fastest appeal option is the Direct Review. If you want a Veterans Law Judge to review your case as quickly as possible, choose this option."], "claude_outputs": ["After appealing a VA claim decision, there are a few options for next steps, depending on the type of appeal you filed:\n\nIf you filed a Supplemental Claim by submitting new and relevant evidence, VA will review the new evidence and issue a new decision. If the decision is still unfavorable, you can submit another Supplemental Claim or request a Higher-Level Review or Board Appeal.\n\nIf you requested a Higher-Level Review, a more senior reviewer will look at your case and issue a new decision. If it is still unfavorable, you can submit a Supplemental Claim or request a Board Appeal.\n\nIf you requested a Board Appeal, your case will be reviewed by a Veterans Law Judge. If the Board denies your appeal, you can appeal to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.", "After signing into your VA.gov account, you can view details about your claim's status, timeline, type of claim, and submitted evidence. You can see where your claim is in the review process and when VA expects to complete the review.", "The provided documents contain information on VA decision reviews, including the different review options, deadlines, appeals process, and FAQs.", "Yes, a Veterans Service Organization or VA-accredited attorney or agent can assist you with requesting a decision review.", "Unfortunately the provided documents do not contain information on the actual VA decision-making process for multiple party or contested claims. They only discuss the options for reviewing or appealing an unfavorable decision. A representative may be able to assist you further in understanding the decision process.", "To request a Board Appeal, you need to fill out and submit VA Form 10182: Decision Review Request: Board Appeal. You can download the form from the VA website or request a copy by phone, mail, or in person from a VA regional office.", "The fastest appeal option listed in the documents is the \"Direct Review\" option when requesting a Board Appeal. This option asks the Veterans Law Judge to review your case \"as quickly as possible.\""], "input": "\n\nMultiple party or contested claims \n\n\nMark your calendar \nYou have 60 days from the date on your decision to request a Board Appeal. \n\nCan I add new evidence? \nYou have the option to add new evidence for a judge to review. You ll have to submit this evidence within 90 days from the date VA receives your Board Appeal form. This option will take longer. \n\nCan I request a hearing? \nYou have the option to request a hearing with a judge. A video conference hearing will take place at a VA location near you. This option will take longer. \n\nWhat happens at a hearing? \nYou and the judge will have a conversation. The judge will listen to your testimony. The judge may ask you a few questions. Your representative , if you have one , may help you at the hearing. The hearing will be transcribed and added to your appeal file. You can add new and relevant evidence within 90 days after the hearing , but it isn t required. \n\nHow do I request a Board Appeal? \nTo request a Board Appeal , fill out the Decision Review Request: Board Appeal VA Form 10182. Download VA Form 10182 PDF \n\nChoose one of the 3 options to appeal with a Veterans Law Judge \nDirect ReviewIf you want a Veterans Law Judge to review your case as quickly as possible, choose a Direct Review. Evidence SubmissionIf you have additional evidence for a Veterans Law Judge to review, choose Evidence Submission. Hearing RequestIf you want a video conference hearing with a Veterans Law Judge at a nearby VA location , choose a Hearing Request. At your hearing , you and a Veterans Law Judge will have a conversation , and they ll ask you questions about your appeal. Your hearing will be transcribed and added to your appeal file. Learn more about hearings and how to request one \n\nList the issue(s) you want to appeal in Part III \nYou can include all or just some of the issues VA has decided. You ll need to list the issue you disagree with and the VA decision date for each. \n\nApply \nFill out the Decision Review Request: Board Appeal VA Form 10182. Download VA Form 10182 PDF By mail Send the completed form and any supporting documents to this address : Board of Veterans AppealsPO Box 27063Washington , D.C. 20038 In person Bring your completed form to a regional benefit office. Find a regional benefit office near you By fax Fax your completed form to 844 - 678 - 8979. You can also ask a regional benefit office for a copy of this form to fill out. Or you can call the VA toll - free hotline at 800 - 827 - 1000, Monday through Friday , 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. ET , to request a form. \n\nAfter a Board decision \nIf you disagree with the Board s decision , you can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. You can hire an attorney to represent you , or you can represent yourself. Learn more about filing a Court Appeal \n\nMark your calendar \nYou have 120 days from the date on your decision to file a Court Appeal. Note: A Court Appeal must be filed with the Court, not with VA. \n\nWhat happens next? \nFind out what happens after you request a decision review You don t need to do anything while you wait unless VA sends you a letter asking for more information. If VA schedules exams for you , be sure not to miss them. Track the status of your appeal \n\nWhat if I need help? \nA Veterans Service Organization or VA - accredited attorney or agent can help you request a decision review. Get help requesting a decision review \n\nWhat if I have more questions? \nGet answers to frequently asked questions about decision reviews. Go to FAQs \n\n\n\n\nFrequently asked questions about decision reviews \n\n\nOn this page \nWhat s new and relevant evidence? What s Duty to Assist? What if I miss the deadline for submitting my request? What should I expect if I request a call with a senior reviewer? What should I expect if I request a hearing with a Veterans Law Judge? What if I want to change my review option after submitting a form? How do I opt in if I want my legacy claim or appeal to be considered in the modernized system? \n\nWhat s new and relevant evidence? \nIn order to file a Supplemental Claim , you have to add evidence that s both new and relevant. New evidence is information that VA didn t have before the last decision. Relevant evidence is information that could prove or disprove something about your case. VA can t accept a Supplemental Claim without new and relevant evidence. You can either submit the evidence yourself or identify evidence, like medical records, that you d like VA to get for you. \n\nWhat s Duty to Assist? \nVA s Duty to Assist requires VA to assist you in getting evidence, such as medical records, that s needed to support your case. VA s Duty to Assist applies during your initial claim and if you file a Supplemental Claim. If you request a Higher - Level Review or Board Appeal , Duty to Assist doesn t apply. However , the reviewer or judge will look at whether VA met its Duty to Assist during your initial claim or Supplemental Claim , and if not, they ll have VA correct that error. Your review may take longer if this is needed. \n\nWhat if I miss the deadline for submitting my request? \nSubmitting your request on time will ensure that you receive the maximum benefit if your case is granted. Please check the deadline for each review option and submit your request before that date. If the deadline has passed , you can either : Add new and relevant evidence and file a Supplemental Claim. Because the deadline has passed , the effective date for benefits will generally be tied to the date VA receives the new request, not the date VA received your initial claim. Send a letter to VA requesting that it revise the decision based on a Clear and Unmistakable Error CUE. CUE is a specific and rare kind of error. To prove CUE , you must show that the correct facts, known at the time, were not before VA or that VA incorrectly applied the law as it existed at the time. It must be undebatable that an error occurred and that this error changed the outcome of your case. Misinterpretation of the facts or a failure by VA to meet its Duty to Assist aren t sufficient reasons. Please seek guidance from a qualified representative, as you can only request CUE once per decision. If you disagree with a Board decision , your decision will have information on additional ways to address errors. \n\nWhat should I expect if I request a call with a senior reviewer? \nIf you request an informal conference with a senior reviewer on the Higher - Level Review option , they ll call the phone number that you or your representative provided on the Higher - Level Review form to schedule a time to discuss your case with you. The senior reviewer will try to reach you or your representative by phone twice. If no one answers , they ll leave a voice mail. During the call , you and/or your representative can talk about why you think the decision should be changed and identify errors. There won t be transcripts of this call. \n\nWhat should I expect if I request a hearing with a Veterans Law Judge? \nYou have the option to request a hearing with a judge. A video conference hearing will take place at a VA location near you. At your hearing , you and the judge will have a conversation. The judge will listen to your testimony. The judge may ask you a few questions. Your representative , if you have one , may help you at the hearing. The hearing will be transcribed and added to your appeal file. You can add new and relevant evidence within 90 days after the hearing , but it isn t required. \n\nWhat if I want to choose a different review option after I ve already submitted a form? \nIf you ve submitted a form and want to change your review option , you can send in a new decision review request form within 1 year from the date on your VA decision. You must include a letter that says you want to withdraw your existing review and switch to a different option. If you requested a Board Appeal and want to switch to a different appeal option , you can send in a new Board Appeal form with a different option selected. You can switch appeal options within 1 year from the date on your VA decision or 60 days from the date you submitted your original form. You can t select a different appeal option if you ve already submitted evidence or had a hearing. \n\nHow do I opt in if I want my legacy claim or appeal to be considered in the modernized system? \nIf you disagree with a VA decision you received before February 19 , 2019 , you can opt in to the modernized review system after you ve received a VA Statement of the Case SOC or Supplemental Statement of the Case SSOC. To get either a SOC or an SSOC , you must file a Notice of Disagreement VA Form 21 - 0958 within 1 year of the date on your decision. Find out how to file a Notice of Disagreement After you receive either a SOC or an SSOC on the issue in your Notice of Disagreement , you have 60 days or the remainder of the 1-year period following the decision you appealed, whichever is later, to opt in to the modernized system by submitting one of the following forms and checking the SOC / SSOC opt - in box : Decision Review Request : Supplemental Claim VA Form 20 - 0995 Decision Review Request : Higher - Level Review VA Form 20 - 0996 Decision Review Request : Board Appeal VA Form 10182 Download the forms or learn more about decision review options \n\n\n\n\nCheck your VA claim or appeal status \nFind out how to check the status of a VA claim or appeal online. \n\nWhat types of claims and appeals can I track with this tool? \nYou can use this tool to check the status of a VA claim or appeal for compensation. Track your : Disability compensation including claims based on special needs like an automobile or clothing allowance Veterans or Survivors Pension benefits Special monthly compensation such as Aid and Attendance Dependency and Indemnity Compensation DIC to help pay for a Veteran s burial and funeral expenses Burial allowance You can also use this tool to check the status of a claim or appeal for other benefits like these : VA health care GI Bill or other education benefits Vocational rehabilitation and employment A home loan Certificate of Eligibility COE A Specially Adapted Housing SAH or Special Housing Adaptation SHA grant Life insurance A pre - need determination of eligibility to be buried in a VA national cemetery \n\nCan I use this tool? \nTo use this tool , you ll need to have one of these free accounts : A Premium My HealtheVet account , or A Premium DS Logon account used for eBenefits and milConnect , or that you can create here on VA.gov A verified ID.me account \n\nOnce I m signed in, how do I check my VA claim or appeal status? \nGo to your \" My VA \" dashboard. You'll find the link for this dashboard in the top right corner of the page once you're signed in. Scroll down to the \" Track Claims \" section. There , you'll see a summary of the latest status information for any open claims or appeals you may have. Click on the \" View Status \" button for a specific claim. You'll go to a page with more details about that claim's status and supporting evidence. Evidence may include documents like a doctor's report or medical test results. \n\nWhat kind of information will I learn about my VA claim or appeal? \nYou ll see where your claim or appeal is in our review process, and when we think we ll complete our review. You can also view these details : you ve filed online Any evidence to support your initial claim we ve requested from you Any additional evidence Your claim type What you ve claimed Your representative for VA claims Note: You can only upload documents online to support your initial claim. You can t upload documents online to support an appeal. \n\nWhat if I don t see a document I sent to VA as evidence? \nThis may be because certain documents won t appear online. You won t see documents that : You sent to us by mail or fax , or You brought to us in person , or We ve restricted to protect your or someone else s confidentiality privacy \n\nWill my personal information be protected if I use this tool? \nYes. This is a secure website. We follow strict security policies and practices to protect your personal health information. If you print or download anything from the website , you ll need to take responsibility for protecting that information. \n\nWhat if I have more questions? \nYou can call us at 800 - 827 - 1000. We re here Monday through Friday , 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET. ", "source": "multidoc_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Greetings, now is it going there?. Hope great, really. Can you give me some light about a driving school setting?", "Oh right, that makes sense. You know, i'm meaning to teach pre-licensing. Are there any measures i should take?", "ok yes, we have the name, the instructor and everything is ready, I want to open my school with a commercial name, what steps should I follow?", "how do we do that?", "what do we do about the certificate of authority?", "do we get a surety bond with you?", "last question, what does our official registered dealer sign have to be size-wise?"], "outputs": ["Sure. If you're interested into opening a driving school, you must know that is necessary to get a DMV's approval for the use of its name in your school.", "Good. If you're planning to do that, then you must have adequate facilities and an experienced instructor that holds a valid instructor's card, with at least 1,000 hours of experience. In any case, you must request a premises check.", "LLCs have to submit a copy of their Filing Receipt from the Department of State.", "Instructions to file can be found on the NY State Department of State website.", "The Certificate of Authority and Sales Tax ID number are issued by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.  You can apply by visiting the NY State DTF website.", "The DMV does not provide Surety Bonds. You will have to contact a surety insurance company and have them fill out the Dealer Bond Under NY State Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 415.", "The sign must measure at least 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and it needs to be a red background with white lettering."], "gpt4_outputs": ["To set up a driving school, you need to meet the DMV's requirements for your place of business, have a qualified and experienced instructor, meet record-keeping requirements, and have the authority to operate a business in New York State. You must also receive approval from the DMV for the use of your driving school's name and meet other requirements related to your school's premises, vehicles, and instructors.", "If your driving school will teach the Pre-licensing course, you must have a classroom that meets DMV's requirements. This includes having a clean, comfortable, and accessible classroom for students with disabilities, adequate seating, heating, ventilation, and lighting, restroom facilities, and appropriate teaching materials like chalkboards, flipcharts, and audio/visual equipment.", "To open your driving school with a commercial name, first, receive approval from the DMV for the use of your driving school's name using the Request for Approval of Driving School Name form. After receiving approval, submit the required documents and forms to the DMV, such as the Driving School License Application, Personal History form, proof of Workers Compensation and Disability Benefits Insurance Coverage, and other necessary documents.", "To apply for a Driving School License, submit all required documents, forms, and fees to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Driver Training Programs. After your application is reviewed and approved, you will be notified to pay the driving school license fee of $50. Once the fee is received, the DMV will mail your Driving School License and a Driving School Instructor Certificate for each of your instructors.", "To obtain a Certificate of Authority, apply through the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) website. This certificate and your Sales Tax ID number are required before submitting an application with the DMV. Ensure you record your Sales Tax ID on the Original Facility Application.", "The DMV does not provide Surety Bonds. You must contact a surety insurance company to obtain a bond. Make sure the business name and mailing address on your bond match those on your application.", "Your official dealer sign must have a red background with white lettering, measure at least 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and display \"REGISTERED Facility Number STATE OF NEW YORK MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER\" in two-inch block lettering. The sign must be permanently mounted and visible at all times from the nearest street or highway."], "claude_outputs": ["To open a driving school in New York State, you will need to meet several requirements. This includes:\n\nReceiving approval from the DMV for your school name\nHaving a facility that is at least 50 square feet and accessible\nHaving an experienced instructor with at least 1,000 hours of experience\nKeeping appropriate records\nHaving vehicles for training that meet DMV's requirements\nSubmitting the necessary forms and documents to DMV and paying the application fee\nPassing an inspection of your facility by DMV\nPaying the driving school license fee once approved", " If your driving school will teach the pre-licensing course, you will need to have a classroom that meets DMV's specific requirements. This includes having:\n\nAt least 200 square feet of space if combined with office space\nAdequate seating, lighting, ventilation, and accessibility for students with disabilities\nRestroom facilities accessible to students\nAppropriate classroom equipment like chalkboards and AV equipment", "First, you'll need to submit the Request for Approval of Driving School Name form to DMV to get approval of your school name. Once approved, you'll need to submit:\n\nThe form showing DMV approved your school name\nA completed Driving School License Application form\nThe application fee of $50\nPersonal history forms for owners, officers, employees\nInsurance documents\nA lease or proof of your business location\nA certificate of occupancy\nSample receipts and records\nInformation about your vehicles and instructors", "You'll need to submit the required forms and documents listed in the previous response via mail to the address provided in the documents.", "You'll need to apply for a Certificate of Authority and Sales Tax ID from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance before submitting your driving school application to DMV.", "No, DMV does not provide surety bonds. You'll need to contact a surety insurance company to get a dealer bond in the required amount before applying.", "According to the documents, your official dealer sign needs to:\n\nHave a red background and white lettering\nMeasure at least 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall\nDisplay \"REGISTERED Facility Number STATE OF NEW YORK MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER\" in 2 inch block lettering\nBe permanently mounted and visible from the nearest street or highway"], "input": "A Driving School License is required of any person, firm, association or corporation engaged in the business of giving instruction in the operation of motor vehicles or motorcycles for hire. The process of opening a driving school involves several steps. These steps are also outlined in the form Opening a Driving School [1] MV-299.2. To open a driving school , you will need to meet DMV s requirements below for your place of business a qualified, experienced instructor see below to meet DMV s requirements for records receipts, etc. and record - keeping authority to operate a business in New York State and this location \n\nRequirements \nYou must receive approval from DMV for the use of the name for your driving school see also Request for Approval of Driving School Name [2] before you submit an application. be at least 50 square feet, which is accessible by your customers be in a suitable building see Part 76.2 for details be at least 1,500 feet from a DMV office or road test area Applicant must be given a receipt for all payments hours of operation schedule of fees NOTE: If your school will teach the Pre - licensing course , you must also have a classroom that meets DMV s requirements see also Request for Premises Check [3]. you must have an experienced instructor who holds a valid instructor s card, and has at least 1,000 hours of experience as a behind - the - wheel instructor. you must keep appropriate records. you must have a vehicle used for training and testing students that meets DMV s requirements see also List of Driving School Vehicles [4]. All vehicles except motorcycles must have Student Driver signs and be equipped with dual - control brakes and mirrors for the instructors use. \n\nHow to apply \nAfter you receive approval of your business name from DMV , you must submit the following items to DMV your Request for Approval of Driving School Name [2] form MV-299.3 that shows your Driving School name was approved by the DMV see \" Driving School Name Approval \" above a completed Driving School License Application [5] form MV-521. You must list at least one Driving School Instructor who holds a valid Driving School Instructor Certificate MV-524 and has a minimum of 1,000 hours of behind - the - wheel instruction experience the application fee of $50.00 non - refundable. Make your check or money order payable to \" Commissioner of Motor Vehicles \". We cannot accept cash or credit cards a completed Personal History [6] form MV-521.1 for each owner, partner, corporate officer, agent, employee and major stockholder 20% or more of stock listed on your Driving School Application MV-521 if you have employees , you must submit proof of current Workers Compensation and Disability Benefits Insurance Coverage. See the instructions on the Driving School License Application [5] MV-521 for more information if you do not have employees , you must submit a completed CE-200 available from the NY State Worker's Compensation Board. This form is to show a government agency that NY State Workers Compensation and Disability Benefits insurance are not required a X-201 , a X-74 or DOS-1025. See Opening a Driving School [1] MV-299.2 for more details a copy of the lease for your proposed place of business a Certificate of Occupancy for your proposed place of business a copy of the receipt provided to clients as required by Section 76.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations [7]. See also Receipts and Contracts [8] MV-299.4 a copy of the Student Record Card as required by Section 76.8 of the Commissioner's Regulations [7 ] a schedule of fees for all services your driving school will provide a list of all vehicles to be used in training and testing. See also List of Driving School Vehicles [4] MV-527 an Application for Driving School Instructor Certificate [9] MV-523 for each instructor Send all required items to : New York State Department of Motor VehiclesBureau of Driver Training Programs6 Empire State Plaza , Room 327Albany , NY 12228 473 - 7174 \n\nAfter application is submitted \nAfter your application is reviewed by DMV in Albany , it is sent to your local Motor Vehicle office. Your local Motor Vehicle office will schedule an inspection. When the inspector visits your location , be prepared to show the original lease the original business certificate and/or corporate papers and/or filing receipt a sample customer receipt and student record card signs and advertising see Commissioner Regulations Part 76.21 [7 ] a permanent, bound book or record - keeping system a filing cabinet If your school intends to offer the Pre - Licensing Course , you will also need to have the classroom inspected. The classroom requirements are listed on the Request for Premise Check [3] form MV-279, and include If the classroom facilities are combined with office space , the combined total must be at least 200 square feet the classroom must be clean, comfortable, and easily accessible to students with disabilities adequate seating for each student adequate heating , ventilation , and lighting rest room facilities easily accessible to all students appropriate chalkboard , flipcharts , and audio / visual equipment \n\nAfter approval \nAfter your business location is inspected and approved , we will notify you that you need to pay the driving school license fee of $50. Your new license will be valid for one year. Once we receive the driving school license fee , we will mail your Driving School License which must be posted in plain sight in your place of business and a Driving School Instructor Certificate for each of your instructors. If you have any questions about these requirements or documentation , please call Driver Training Programs at 1 - 518 - 473 - 7174. \n\n\nImportant : Beginning Summer 2018 , there will be new rules regarding dealer record keeping. [1] To register as a retail dealer licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles in New York State consult the DMV Commissioner s Regulations for Motor Vehicle Dealers and Transporters pdf [2] CR-78 download and read Facility Requirements - Dealers / Transporters pdf [3] You can also call the Office of Vehicle Safety and Clean Air at 1 - 518 - 474 - 4653 to get the forms, or call 1 - 518 - 474 - 0919 to get more information. \n\nHow to apply \nYou must submit Original Facility Application pdf [4] VS-1 a copy of your complete original sealed and signed Surety Bond : Dealer Bond Under NY State Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 415 6-B pdf [5] VS-3 with power of attorney papers made out to your business name and address that you have permission to use the property at the business location notarized statement from property owner, lease may be contingent on facility approval, sub - lease with primary lease, mortgage, deed or receipted tax bill proof your Sales tax ID number and a copy of your Sales Tax Certificate of Authority [6] you may need a FEIN from the IRS [7] before this step proof of Workers Compensation Insurance [8] for your employees if you have no employees, indicate that on the application a photocopy of driver license or other government issued photo ID for everyone listed on the application a receipt for your purchase of the dealer s starter kit and signs all required fees , via checks app / license check & MV-50 check payable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles a Filing Receipt found on the NY State Department of State website [9] Corporation or LLC or a Business Certificate from the County Clerk individual using assumed name or partnership \n\nCertificate of Authority \nIf you do not have your Certificate of Authority , do not submit an application with DMV yet! The Certificate of Authority and Sales Tax ID number are issued by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance DTF. You may apply by visiting the NY State DTF website [6]. Be sure to record your Sales Tax ID on the Original Facility Application. \n\nProof of Business Name \nIf you do not have your Proof of Business Name , do not submit an application with DMV yet! Corporations and LLCs : You must submit a copy of your Filing Receipt from the Department of State. Instructions to file can be found on the NY State Department of State website [9]. Partnerships and Individuals Using an Assumed Name : You must submit a copy of your Business Certificate of Assumed Name. Contact your county clerk to obtain your business certificate. \n\nProof of Workers Compensation Insurance \nIf you do not have your proof of Workers Compensation Insurance , do not submit an application with DMV yet! If you have any employees family included you must submit proof of Workers Compensation Insurance. You can visit the NY State Workers Compensation Board website [8] for instructions on this process. If you do not have any employees , indicate that on your application. \n\nSurety Bond \nIf you do not have your Surety Bond , do not submit an application with DMV yet! DMV does not provide Surety Bonds ; you must contact a surety insurance company and have them fill out the Dealer Bond Under NY State Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 415 6-B pdf [5] VS-3. Be sure that the business name and mailing address on your bond exactly matches those that show on your application. The amount of the bond depends on the number of vehicles you anticipate selling used motor vehicle dealers : \n\nSend by mail \nYou must submit a hard copy of your application, associated documents and fee to this address NYS DMV Bureau of Consumer & Facility Services Application Unit P.O. Box 2700 Albany , NY 12220 - 0700 You will be contacted by a clerk from Vehicle Safety s Application Processing Unit. Once your application is reviewed for completeness at our Albany office , it will be sent to a regional office for review. They will contact you to schedule an on - site investigation. \n\nOn-site investigation \nWhen the automotive facilities inspector AFI arrives to inspect your facility , they will be checking that you have the following items dealer starter kit permanently mounted signs visible from the street the AFI will deny your application if your signs are not clearly visible proof of identification for everyone named on the application driver license or other government issued photo ID In addition to the supplies listed above , the AFI will examine your location for these characteristics a clear and permanent physical barrier from other businesses that may share your location separating display areas, signs and offices a display lot a mailbox at the business address dedicated to your business only a method of locking security items locking cabinet, safe, etc. heat , electricity , desk and chairs a business phone cell phone is acceptable If approved , the DMV will issue you a certificate of registration, MV-50s Retail Certificates of Sale and a dealer plate letter if applicable. \n\nOfficial dealer sign \nDMV does not provide official dealer signs. You may purchase these signs from various sign shops and automotive supply stores. Your sign needs red background and white lettering to measure at least 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall display REGISTERED Facility Number STATE OF NEW YORK MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER in two inch block lettering, as configured in the example shown in the footnote 1 to be permanently mounted and visible at all times from the nearest street or highway \n\nStarter kit components \nBook of Registry Police Book Bills of sale (Retail Certificate of Sale (MV-50) Odometer Statements except ATV and Boat Dealers Warranty Forms except ATV and Boat Dealers All forms must comply with current Regulations for Motor Vehicle Dealers and Transporters pdf [2] CR-78. These items may be purchased through these vendors2 Automotive Dealer Supplies , 518 - 465 - 9900 , www.automotivedealersupplies.com/ [10 ] Fairmount Press , 212 - 255 - 2300 Jan Horan Co. , 800 - 325 - 3006 , www.janhoran.com/ [11 ] OMP Printing , 315 - 853 - 5569 , www.ompprintingandgraphics.com/ [12 ] SNYADS Services , 800 - 916 - 9723 , www.nysada.com/Programs/SNYADSServices.aspx [13 ] NFADA Wholesale Distributors , 716 - 631 - 8510 , www.discountusedcarsupplies.com [14 ] Aratari Auto Finishers , 585 - 467 - 5858 , www.aratariautofinishers.com [15 ] Larry Ligarzewski Co. , 716 - 668 - 0390 Genesys Systems , 888 - 548 - 4000 , http://www.newyorkdealerstartupkit.com [16 ] \n\nHow to get a Surety Bond \nDMV does not provide Surety Bonds , you must contact a surety insurance company and have them fill out Dealer Bond Under NY State Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 415 6-B pdf [5] VS-3. Be sure that the business name and mailing address on your bond exactly matches those that show on your application. The amount of the bond depends on the number of vehicles you anticipate selling used motor vehicle dealers \n\nSnowmobile Dealer \nTo apply for a snowmobile dealer business certificate you must use form Application for a Snowmobile Dealer Registration pdf [17] RV-253. DMV does not endorse these companies or otherwise represent that DMV has any association with or oversight of these companies. ", "source": "multidoc_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["Please generate the Abstract section for this paper.", "Please generate the Related Work section for this paper, and you have to cite these papers:\n1.  Title: Mixture density networks , Authors: Christopher M Bishop , 1994\n2.  Title: Weight uncertainty in neural networks , Authors: Charles Blundell Julien Cornebise... , 2015\n3.  Title: A weakly informative default prior distribution for logistic and other regression models , Authors: Andrew Gelman Aleks Jakulin... , 2008\n4.  Title: Prior distributions for variance parameters in hierarchical models (comment on article by browne and draper) , Authors: Andrew Gelman , 2006\n5.  Title: Variational dropout and the local reparameterization trick , Authors: Durk P Kingma Tim Salimans... , 2015\n6.  Title: Simple and scalable predictive uncertainty estimation using deep ensembles , Authors: Balaji Lakshminarayanan Alexander Pritzel... , 2017\n7.  Title: Variational dropout sparsifies deep neural networks , Authors: Dmitry Molchanov Arsenii Ashukha... , 2017\n8.  Title: Evidential deep learning to quantify classification uncertainty , Authors: Murat Sensoy Lance Kaplan... , 2018\n", "Please write a review for this paper and you should provide some suggestions and raise some questions in your review."], "outputs": ["Deterministic neural networks (NNs) are increasingly being deployed in safety critical domains, where calibrated, robust and efficient measures of uncertainty are crucial. While it is possible to train regression networks to output the parameters of a probability distribution by maximizing a Gaussian likelihood function, the resulting model remains oblivious to the underlying confidence of its predictions. In this paper, we propose a novel method for training deterministic NNs to not only estimate the desired target but also the associated evidence in support of that target. We accomplish this by placing evidential priors over our original Gaussian likelihood function and training our NN to infer the hyperparameters of our evidential distribution. We impose priors during training such that the model is penalized when its predicted evidence is not aligned with the correct output. Thus the model estimates not only the probabilistic mean and variance of our target but also the underlying uncertainty associated with each of those parameters. We observe that our evidential regression method learns well-calibrated measures of uncertainty on various benchmarks, scales to complex computer vision tasks, and is robust to adversarial input perturbations.", "Uncertainty estimation has a long history in neural networks, from modeling probability distribution parameters over outputs (Bishop, 1994) to Bayesian deep learning (Kendall & Gal, 2017). Our work builds on this foundation and presents a scalable representation for inferring the parameters of an evidential uncertainty distribution while simultaneously learning regression tasks via MLE. In Bayesian deep learning, priors are placed over network weights and estimated using variational inference (Kingma et al., 2015). Dropout (Gal & Ghahramani, 2016; Molchanov et al., 2017) and BBB (Blundell et al., 2015) rely on multiple samples to estimate predictive variance. Ensembles (Lakshminarayanan et al., 2017) provide a tangential approach where sampling occurs over multiple trained instances. In contrast, we place uncertainty priors over the likelihood function and thus only need a single forward pass to evaluate both prediction and uncertainty. Additionally, our approach of uncertainty estimation proved to be better calibrated and capable of predicting where the model fails. A large topic of research in Bayesian inference focuses on placing prior distributions over hierarchical models to estimate uncertainty (Gelman et al., 2006; 2008). Our methodology falls under the class of evidential deep learning which models higher-order distribution priors over neural network predictions to interpret uncertainty. Prior works in this field (Sensoy et al., 2018; Malinin & Gales, 2018) have focused exclusively on modeling uncertainty in the classification domain with Dirichlet prior distributions. Our work extends this field into the broad range of regression learning tasks (e.g. depth estimation, forecasting, robotic control learning, etc.) and demonstrates generalizability to out-of-distribution test samples and complex learning problems.", "This paper proposes a novel approach to estimate the confidence of predictions in a regression setting. The approach starts from the standard modelling assuming iid samples from a Gaussian distribution with unknown mean and variances and places evidential priors. This opens the door to online applications with fully integrated uncertainty estimates. \n\nPros:\n1.\tNovel approach to regression (a similar work has been published at NeurIPS last year for classification [3]), but the extension of the work to regression is important.\n2.\tThe experimental results show consistent improvement in performance over a wide base of benchmarks, scales to large vision problems and behaves robustly against adversarial examples.\n3.\tThe presentation of the paper is overall nice, and the Figures are very useful to the general comprehension of the article.\nCons:\n1.\tThe theory of evidence, which is not widely known in the ML community, is not clearly introduced. \nI think that the authors should consider adding a section similar to Section 3 of Sensoy et al. [3] should be considered. Currently, the only step explaining the evidential approach that I found was in section 3.1, in a very small paragraph (between \u201cthe mean of [\u2026] to \\lambda + 2\\alpha.\u201d). I believe that the article would greatly benefit from a more thorough introduction of concepts linked to the theory of evidence.\n2.\tThe authors briefly mention that KL is not well defined between some NIG distributions (p.5) and propose a custom evidence regularizer, but there\u2019s very little insight given on how this connects to/departs from the ELBO approach. \n\nOther comments/questions:\n1.\t(p.1)  I\u2019m not sure to fully understand what\u2019s meant by higher-order/lower-order distributions, could you clarify?\n2.\t(p.3) In section 3.1, the term in the total evidence \\phi_j is not defined.\n3.\t(p.3) Could you comment on the implications of assuming that the estimated distribution can be factorized? \n4.\t(p.4) Could you comment on the difference that there is between NLL_ML and NLL_SOS from a modelling perspective?\n5.\t(p.4) The ELBO loss (6) is unclearly defined, and not connected to the direct context. I would suggest moving this to the section 3.3, where the prior p(\\theta) used in eq. (6) is actually defined.\n\nSpelling & typos:\n-\t(p.4) There are several typos in equation (8), where tau should be replaced with 1/\\sigma^2. \n-\t(p.8) In the last sentence, there is \u201cntwork\u201d instead of network.\n-\t(p.9) There is a typo in the name of J\u00f8sang in the references. \n-\t(p.10) In equation (13), due to the change of variable, there should be a \n-(1/\\tau^2) added;  \n-\t(p.10) In equation (14), the \\exp(-\\lambda*\\pi*(\u2026)) should be replaced with \\exp(-\\lambda*\\tau*(\u2026)). \n\n6: Weak Accept"], "gpt4_outputs": ["In this paper, we present a novel approach for estimating uncertainty in supervised learning problems using neural networks. Our method, called Evidential Uncertainty for Regression, combines the concepts of aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty to learn a higher-order evidential distribution over the network's predictions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on various benchmark regression tasks, showing improved performance in terms of root mean squared error and negative log-likelihood compared to existing methods. Additionally, we apply our method to the complex, high-dimensional task of depth estimation, demonstrating that our method can effectively scale to more challenging problems while providing robust uncertainty estimates. Our framework for evidential representation learning provides a means to achieve precise uncertainty metrics required for robust neural network deployment in safety-critical domains.", "Our work builds upon several previous studies in the field of uncertainty estimation for neural networks. Mixture density networks (Bishop, 1994) introduced a method for modeling complex, multimodal distributions using neural networks. Blundell et al. (2015) proposed a Bayesian approach to weight uncertainty in neural networks, while Gelman et al. (2008) and Gelman (2006) explored the use of weakly informative default prior distributions for logistic and other regression models. Kingma et al. (2015) and Molchanov et al. (2017) developed techniques for variational dropout and sparsifying deep neural networks, respectively. Lakshminarayanan et al. (2017) proposed a simple and scalable method for predictive uncertainty estimation using deep ensembles. Finally, Sensoy et al. (2018) introduced evidential deep learning to quantify classification uncertainty. Our work extends these ideas by proposing a novel method for estimating both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty in regression tasks, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach on various benchmark problems and the high-dimensional task of depth estimation.", "The paper introduces a novel approach for estimating the evidence in support of neural network predictions by directly learning both the inferred aleatoric uncertainty as well as the underlying epistemic uncertainty over its predictions. The authors achieve this by placing higher-order prior distributions over the learned parameters governing the distribution from which the observations are drawn. \n\nThe paper is well-written, and the problem setup is clearly defined. The proposed method is thoroughly explained, and the experiments are conducted on various datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other baseline methods in terms of predictive accuracy and uncertainty benchmarking.\n\nStrengths:\n1. The paper is well-structured, and the proposed method is clearly explained.\n2. The experiments are conducted on various datasets and tasks, such as regression tasks, depth estimation, and out-of-distribution testing.\n3. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other baseline methods in terms of predictive accuracy and uncertainty benchmarking.\n\nSuggestions:\n1. It would be beneficial to include more real-world datasets to further validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. \n2. The authors could include a comparison with other state-of-the-art methods in uncertainty estimation to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the performance of the proposed method.\n3. Some parts of the paper are quite technical and might be difficult to understand for readers not familiar with the topic. The authors could consider adding more intuitive explanations to make the paper more accessible to a broader audience.\n\nQuestions:\n1. How does the proposed method perform in the presence of noisy data? Would it be possible to incorporate some form of noise robustness in the method?\n2. How does the choice of the prior distribution affect the performance of the proposed method? Would it be possible to use other types of prior distributions in the approach?\n3. What is the computational complexity of the proposed method compared to other baseline methods? Is there any trade-off between the performance gains and the increased complexity?\n\nOverall, the paper presents a novel and interesting approach to estimating uncertainty in neural network predictions. The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the results are promising. With some improvements and further validation on real-world datasets, the paper could make a significant contribution to the field of uncertainty estimation in deep learning."], "claude_outputs": ["We present a novel approach for evidential regression using deep neural networks which simultaneously minimizes prediction error while estimating uncertainties in the network's predictions. Our method places higher-order distributions over model parameters to capture both aleatoric uncertainties from noise in the observations and epistemic uncertainties from lack of data. We achieve this by enforcing evidential priors during training that penalize large amounts of inferred evidence for incorrect predictions. This enables our model to appropriately estimate increasing levels of uncertainty for out-of-distribution datapoints. Our method is validated on benchmark regression tasks and scaled to monocular depth estimation, where it estimates precise uncertainties and identifies adversarial perturbations.", "Several methods have been proposed for uncertainty estimation in neural networks [1, 2, 3]. Mixture density networks model aleatoric uncertainty by learning a mixture of Gaussians [1]. Weight uncertainty methods place prior distributions over network weights [2]. However, these methods often underestimate uncertainties on out-of-distribution data [3,4]. Other methods like ensemble-based methods [5,6] and variational dropout [7] provide better uncertainty estimates but require sampling during inference.\nIn contrast, our method uses higher-order evidential distributions [8] to capture uncertainties. We enforce these distributions as priors during training to penalize large amounts of evidence for incorrect predictions. This enables our model to provide well-calibrated uncertainties, outperforming other baselines on benchmark regression tasks. Our method also scales to complex tasks like depth estimation, providing precise uncertainties and robustness to adversarial perturbations.", "Overall this is an interesting work that seeks to model both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty in neural networks for regression tasks. The concept of evidential learning by placing higher-order distributions over the network parameters is a novel approach for estimating uncertainties. The method is evaluated on a range of regression and depth estimation benchmarks, showing competitive performance compared to state-of-the-art techniques.\n\nHowever, there are several parts of the method that require clarification:\n\n\u2022 The \"evidential regularizer\" introduced to minimize evidence on errors is not well motivated. The authors argue that using KL divergence to a zero evidence prior is not feasible, but it is not clear why a simple L2 regularization on the evidence hyperparameters would not suffice. More analysis is needed to justify the sharp increase in evidence penalty with error magnitude proposed in this work.\n\n\u2022 More insights could be provided into the assumed conjugate prior distribution choices. Are there advantages to using the Normal Inverse-Gamma distribution over other choices?\n\n\u2022 The impact of hyperparameters associated with the prior distribution, such as \u03b1, \u03b2, \u03bb on the uncertainty estimates is not analyzed. It would be useful to study the sensitivity of the method to these parameters.\n\n\u2022 Comparisons with other deep evidential learning techniques such as [8] are missing. The reviewed work focuses primarily on Bayesian approaches.\n\n\u2022 Some examples of how the uncertainty estimates could be used in real world applications would strengthen the practical value of this work.\n\nOverall, this paper proposes an interesting concept for modelling uncertainties in neural networks through evidential learning. With some clarifications on the method and additional analyses, this work could make a useful contribution to the field of uncertainty quantification in deep learning. I recommend the authors consider addressing the raised issues in a revised version of the paper."], "input": "2 MODELLING UNCERTAINTIES FROM DATA\n 2.1 PRELIMINARIES\nConsider the following supervised optimization problem: given a dataset, D, of N paired training examples, (x1, y1), . . . , (xN , yN ), we aim to learn a function f , parameterized by a set of weights, w, which approximately solves the following optimization problem:\nmin w\nJ(w); J(w) = 1\nN N\u2211 i=1 Li(w), (1)\nwhere Li(\u00b7) describes a loss function. In this work, we consider deterministic regression problems, which commonly optimize the sum of squared errors, Li(w) = 12 \u2016yi \u2212 f(xi;w)\u2016\n2. In doing so, the model is encouraged to learn the average correct answer for a given input, but does not explicitly model any underlying noise or uncertainty in the data when making its estimation. 2.2 MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION\nWe can also approach our optimization problem from a maximum likelihood perspective, where we learn model parameters that maximize the likelihood of observing a particular set of training data. In the context of deterministic regression, we assume our targets, yi, were drawn i.i.d. from a Gaussian distribution with mean and variance parameters \u03b8 = (\u00b5, \u03c32). In maximum likelihood estimation, we aim to learn a model to infer \u03b8 = (\u00b5, \u03c32) that maximize the likelihood of observing our targets, y, given by p(yi|\u03b8). In practice, we minimize the negative log likelihood by setting:\nLi(w) = \u2212 log p(yi|\u00b5, \u03c32\ufe38 \ufe37\ufe37 \ufe38 \u03b8 ) = 1 2 log(2\u03c0\u03c32) + (yi \u2212 \u00b5)2 2\u03c32 . (2)\nIn learning the parameters \u03b8, this likelihood function allows us to successfully model the uncertainty of our data, also known as the aleatoric uncertainty. However, our model remains oblivious to the predictive model or epistemic uncertainty (Kendall & Gal, 2017).\nIn this paper, we present a novel approach for estimating the evidence in support of network predictions by directly learning both the inferred aleatoric uncertainty as well as the underlying epistemic uncertainty over its predictions. We achieve this by placing higher-order prior distributions over the learned parameters governing the distribution from which our observations are drawn. 3 EVIDENTIAL UNCERTAINTY FOR REGRESSION\n 3.1 PROBLEM SETUP\nWe consider the problem where our observed targets, yi, are drawn i.i.d. from a Gaussian distribution now with unknown mean and variance (\u00b5, \u03c32), which we seek to probabilistically estimate. We model this by placing a conjugate prior distribution on (\u00b5, \u03c32). If we assume our observations are drawn from a Gaussian, this leads to placing a Gaussian prior on our unknown mean and an Inverse-Gamma prior on our unknown variance:\n(y1, . . . , yN ) \u223c N (\u00b5, \u03c32) \u00b5 \u223c N (\u03b3, \u03c32\u03bb\u22121) \u03c32 \u223c \u0393\u22121(\u03b1, \u03b2).\nwhere \u0393(\u00b7) is the gamma function, m = (\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2), and \u03b3 \u2208 R, \u03bb > 0, \u03b1 > 0, \u03b2 > 0. Our aim is to estimate a posterior distribution q(\u00b5, \u03c32) = p(\u00b5, \u03c32|y1, . . . , yN ). To obtain an approximation for the true posterior, we assume that the estimated distribution can be factorized (Parisi, 1988) such that q(\u00b5, \u03c32) = q(\u00b5) q(\u03c32). Thus, our approximation takes the form of the Gaussian conjugate prior, the Normal Inverse-Gamma (N.I.G.) distribution:\np(\u00b5, \u03c32\ufe38 \ufe37\ufe37 \ufe38 \u03b8 | \u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2\ufe38 \ufe37\ufe37 \ufe38 m\n) = \u03b2\u03b1 \u221a \u03bb\n\u0393(\u03b1) \u221a 2\u03c0\u03c32\n( 1\n\u03c32\n)\u03b1+1 exp { \u22122\u03b2 + \u03bb(\u03b3 \u2212 \u00b5) 2\n2\u03c32\n} . (3)\nA popular interpretation of the parameters of the conjugate prior distribution is in terms of \u201cvirtualobservations\u201d in support of a given property (Jordan, 2009). For example, the mean of a N.I.G. distribution can be interpreted as being estimated from \u03bb virtual-observations with sample mean \u03b3 while its variance was estimated from 2\u03b1 virtual-observations with sample mean \u03b3 and sum of squared deviations 2\u03b2. Following from this interpretation, we define the total evidence, \u03a6, of our evidential distributions as the sum of all inferred virtual-observations counts: (\u03a6 = \u03bb+ 2\u03b1).\nDrawing a sample \u03b8j from the N.I.G. distribution yields a single instance of our likelihood function, namely N (\u00b5j , \u03c32j ). Thus, the N.I.G. hyperparameters, (\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2), determine not only the location but also the dispersion concentrations, or uncertainty, associated with our inferred likelihood function. Therefore, we can interpret the N.I.G. distribution as higher-order, evidential, distribution on top of the unknown lower-order likelihood distribution from which observations are drawn.\nFor example, in Fig. 2A we visualize different evidential N.I.G. distributions with varying model parameters. We illustrate that by increasing the evidential parameters (i.e. \u03bb, \u03b1) of this distribution, the p.d.f. becomes tightly concentrated about its inferred likelihood function. Considering a single parameter realization of this higher-order distribution, cf. Fig. 2B, we can subsequently sample many lower-order realizations of our likelihood function, as shown in Fig. 2C.\nIn this work, we use neural networks to infer the hyperparameters of this higher-order, evidential distribution, given an input. This approach presents several distinct advantages compared to prior work. First, our method enables simultaneous learning of the desired regression task, along with aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty estimation, built in, by enforcing evidential priors. Second, since the evidential prior is a higher-order N.I.G. distribution, the maximum likelihood Gaussian can be computed analytically from the expected values of the (\u00b5, \u03c32) parameters, without the need for sampling. Third, we can effectively estimate the epistemic or model uncertainty associated with the network\u2019s prediction by simply evaluating the variance of our inferred evidential distribution. 3.2 LEARNING THE EVIDENTIAL DISTRIBUTION\nHaving formalized the use of an evidential distribution to capture both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainty, we next describe our approach for learning a model (c.f. Fig. 2D) to output the hyperparameters\nof this distribution. For clarity, we will structure the learning objective into two distinct parts: (1) acquiring or maximizing model evidence in support of our observations and (2) minimizing evidence or inflating uncertainty when the prediction is wrong. At a high level, we can think of (1) as a way of fitting our data to the evidential model while (2) enforces a prior to inflate our uncertainty estimates.\n(1) Maximizing the model fit.\nFrom Bayesian probability theory, the \u201cmodel evidence\u201d, or marginal likelihood, is defined as the likelihood of an observation, yi, given the evidential distribution parameters m and is computed by marginalizing over the likelihood parameters \u03b8:\np(yi|m) = p(yi|\u03b8,m)p(\u03b8|m)\np(\u03b8|yi,m) = \u222b \u03b8 p(yi|\u03b8,m)p(\u03b8|m) d\u03b8. (4)\nThe model evidence is not, in general, straightforward to evaluate since computing it involves integrating out the dependence on latent model parameters:\np(yi|m) = \u222b \u221e \u03c32=0 \u222b \u221e \u00b5=\u2212\u221e p(yi|\u00b5, \u03c32)p(\u00b5, \u03c32|m) d\u00b5d\u03c32 (5)\nHowever, by placing a N.I.G. evidential prior on our Gaussian likelihood function an analytical solution for the model evidence does exist. For computational reasons, we minimize the negative logarithm of the model evidence (LNLLi (w)). For a complete derivation please refer to Sec. 7.1,\nLNLLi (w) = \u2212 log p(yi|m) = \u2212 log\n( 2 1 2+\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1 \u221a \u03bb\n2\u03c0(1 + \u03bb)\n( 2\u03b2 + \u03bb(\u03b3 \u2212 yi)2\n1 + \u03bb\n)\u2212 12\u2212\u03b1) . (6)\nInstead of modeling this loss using empirical Bayes, where the objective is to maximize model evidence, we alternatively can minimize the sum-of-squared (SOS) errors, between the evidential prior and the data that would be sampled from the associated likelihood. Thus, we define LSOSi (w) as\nLSOSi (w) = E\u03b8\u2032\u223cp(\u03b8|m) [ Ey\u2032\u223cp(y|\u03b8\u2032) [ ||y\u2032 \u2212 yi||22 ]] (7)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c32=0 \u222b \u221e \u00b5=\u2212\u221e Ey\u2032\u223cp(y|\u00b5,\u03c32) [ ||y\u2032 \u2212 yi||22 ] p(\u00b5, \u03c32|m) d\u00b5d\u03c32 (8)\n=\n( \u0393(\u03b1\u2212 12 )\n4 \u0393(\u03b1)\u03bb \u221a \u03b2\n)( 2\u03b2(1 + \u03bb) + (2\u03b1\u2212 1)\u03bb(yi \u2212 \u03b3)2 ) . (9)\nA step-by-step derivation is given in Sec. 7.1. In our experiments, using LSOSi (w) resulted in greater training stability and increased performance, compared to the LNLLi (w) loss. Therefore, LSOSi (w) is used in all presented results.\n(2) Minimizing evidence on errors.\nIn the first term of our objective above, we outlined a loss function for training a NN to output parameters of a N.I.G. distribution to fit our observations, either by maximizing the model evidence or minimizing the sum-of-squared errors. Now, we describe how to regularize training by applying a lack of evidence prior (i.e., maximum uncertainty). Therefore, during training we aim to minimize our evidence (or maximize our uncertainty) everywhere except where we have training data.\nThis can be done by minimizing the KL-divergence between the inferred posterior, q(\u03b8), and a prior, p(\u03b8). This has been demonstrated with success in the categorical setting where the uncertainty prior can be set to a uniform Dirichlet (Malinin & Gales, 2018; Sensoy et al., 2018). In the regression setting, the KL-divergence between our posterior and a N.I.G. zero evidence prior (i.e., {\u03b1, \u03bb} = 0) is not well defined (Soch & Allefeld, 2016), please refer to Sec. 7.2 for a derivation. Furthermore, this prior needs to be enforced specifically where there is no support from the data. Past works in classification accomplish this by using the ground truth likelihoood classification (i.e., the one-hot encoded labels) to remove the non-misleading evidence. However, in regression, labels are provided as point targets (not ground truth Gaussian likelihoods). Unlike classification, it is not possible to penalize evidence everywhere except our single point estimate, as this space is infinite and unbounded. Thus, these previously explored approaches for evidential optimization are not directly applicable.\nTo address both of these shortcomings of past works, now in the regression setting, we formulate a novel evidence regularizer, LRi , based on the error of the i-th prediction,\nLRi (w) = \u2016yi \u2212 E[\u00b5i]\u2016p \u00b7 \u03a6 = \u2016yi \u2212 \u03b3\u2016p \u00b7 (2\u03b1+ \u03bb), (10)\nwhere \u2016x\u2016p represents the L-p norm of x. The value of p impacts the penalty imposed on the evidence when a wrong prediction is made. For example, p = 2, heavily over-penalizes the evidence on larger errors, whereas p = 1 and p = 0.5 saturate the evidence penalty for larger errors. We found that p = 1 provided the optimal stability during training and use this value in all presented results.\nThis regularization loss imposes a penalty whenever there is an error in the prediction that scales with the total evidence of our inferred posterior. Conversely, large amounts of predicted evidence will not be penalized as long as the prediction is close to the target observation. We provide an ablation analysis to quantitatively demonstrate the added value of this evidential regularizer in Sec 7.3.2.\nThe combined loss function employed during training consists of the two loss terms for maximizing model evidence and regularizing evidence,\nLi(w) = LSOSi (w) + LRi (w). (11) 3.3 EVALUATING ALEATORIC AND EPISTEMIC UNCERTAINTY\nThe aleatoric uncertainty, also referred to as statistical or data uncertainty, is representative of unknowns that differ each time we run the same experiment. We evaluate the aleatoric uncertainty from E[\u03c32] = \u03b2\u03b1\u22121 . The epistemic, also known as the model uncertainty, describes the estimated uncertainty in the learned model and is defined as Var[\u00b5] = \u03b2(\u03b1\u22121)\u03bb . Note that Var[\u00b5] = E[\u03c3\n2]/\u03bb, which is expected as \u03bb is one of our two evidential virtual-observation counts. 4 EXPERIMENTS\n 4.1 PREDICTIVE ACCURACY AND UNCERTAINTY BENCHMARKING\nWe first qualitatively compare the performance of our approach against a set of benchmarks on a one-dimensional toy regression dataset (Fig. 3). For training and dataset details please refer to Sec. 7.3.1. We compare deterministic regression, as well as techniques using empirical variance of the networks\u2019 predictions such as MC-dropout, model-ensembles, and Bayes-byBackprop which underestimate the uncertainty outside the training distribution. In contrast, evidential regression estimates uncertainty appropriately and grows the uncertainty estimate with increasing distance from the training data.\nAdditionally, we compare our approach to stateof-the-art methods for predictive uncertainty estimation using NNs on common real world datasets used in (Hern\u00e1ndez-Lobato & Adams, 2015; Lakshminarayanan et al., 2017; Gal &\nGhahramani, 2016). We evaluate our proposed evidential regression method against model-ensembles and BBB based on root mean squared error (RMSE), and negative log-likelihood (NLL). We do not provide results for MC-dropout since it consistently performed inferior to the other baselines. The results in Table 1 indicate that although the loss function for evidential regression is more complex than competing approaches, it is the top performer in RMSE and NLL in 8 out of 9 datasets.\nFurthermore, we demonstrate that, on a synthetic dataset with a priori known noise, evidential models can additionally estimate and recover the underlying aleatoric uncertainty. For more information please refer to Sec. 7.3.3 for results and experiment details. 4.2 DEPTH ESTIMATION\nAfter establishing benchmark comparison results, in this subsection we demonstrate the scalability of our evidential learning by extending to the complex, high-dimensional task of depth estimation. Monocular end-to-end depth estimation is a central problem in computer vision which aims to learn a representation of depth directly from an RGB image of the scene. This is a challenging learning task since the output target y is very high-dimensional. For every pixel in the image, we regress over the desired depth and simultaneously estimate the uncertainty associated to that individual pixel.\nOur training data consists of over 27k RGB-to-depth pairs of indoor scenes (e.g. kitchen, bedroom, etc.) from the NYU Depth v2 dataset (Nathan Silberman & Fergus, 2012). We train a U-Net style NN (Ronneberger et al., 2015) for inference. The final layer of our model outputs a single H \u00d7W activation map in the case of deterministic regression, dropout, ensembling and BBB. Evidential models output four final activation maps, corresponding to (\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2).\nTable 2 summarizes the size and speed of all models. Evidential models contain significantly fewer trainable parameters than ensembles (where the number of parameters scales linearly with the size of the ensemble). BBB maintains a trainable mean and variance for every weight in the network, so its size is roughly 2\u00d7 larger as well. Since evidential regression models do not require sampling in order to estimate their uncertainty, their forward-pass inference times are also significantly more efficient. Finally, we demonstrate comparable predictive accuracy (through RMSE and NLL) to the other models. For a more detailed breakdown of how the number of samples effects the baselines please refer to Tab. 3. Note that the output size of the depth estimation problem presented significant learning challenges for the BBB baseline, and it was unable to converge during training. As a result, for the remainder of this analysis we compare against only spatial dropout and ensembles.\nWe evaluate these models in terms of their accuracy and their predictive uncertainty on unseen test data. Fig. 4A-C visualizes the predicted depth, absolute error from ground truth, and predictive uncertainty across three randomly picked test images. Ideally, a strong predictive uncertainty would capture any errors in the prediction (i.e., roughly correspond to where the model is making errors). Compared to dropout and ensembling, evidential uncertainty modeling captures the depth errors while providing clear and localized predictions of confidence. In general, dropout drastically underestimates the amount of uncertainty present, while ensembling occasionally overestimates the uncertainty.\nTo evaluate uncertainty calibration to the ground-truth errors, we fit receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to normalized estimates of error and uncertainty. Thus, we test the network\u2019s ability to detect how likely it is to make an error at a given pixel using its predictive uncertainty.\nROC curves take into account sensitivity and specificity of the uncertainties towards error predictions and are stronger if they contain greater area under their curve (AUC). Fig. 4D demonstrates that our evidential model provides uncertainty estimates concentrate to where the model is making the errors.\nIn addition to epistemic uncertainty, we also evaluate the aleatoric uncertainty estimates that are learned from our evidential models as well. Fig. 5 compares the evidential aleatoric uncertainty to those obtained by Gaussian likelihood optimization in several domains with high data uncertainty (mirror reflections and poor illumination). The results between both methods are in strong agreement, identifying mirror reflections and dark regions without visible geometry as sources of high uncertainty. 4.3 OUT-OF DISTRIBUTION TESTING\nA key use of uncertainty estimation is to understand when a model is faced with test samples that fall out-of-distribution (OOD) or when the model\u2019s output cannot be trusted. In the previous subsection, we showed that our evidential uncertainties were well calibrated with the model\u2019s errors. In this subsection, we investigate the performance on out-ofdistribution samples. Fig. 6 illustrates predicted depth on various test input images (left) and outside (right) of the original distribution. All images have not been seen by the model during training. We qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate that the epistemic uncertainty predicted by our evidential model consistently increases on the OOD samples. 4.3.1 ROBUSTNESS TO ADVERSARIAL SAMPLES\nNext, we consider the extreme case of OOD detection where the inputs are adversarially perturbed to inflict maximum error on the model. We compute adversarial perturbations to our test set using the fast gradient sign method (Goodfellow et al., 2014), with increasing scales, , of noise. Fig. 7A\nconfirms that the absolute error of all methods increasing as adversarial noise is added. We also observe a positive effect noise on our predictive uncertainty estimates in Fig. 7B. An additional desirable property of evidential uncertainty modeling is that it presents a higher overall uncertainty when presented with adversarial inputs compared to dropout and ensembling methods. Furthermore, we observe this strong overall uncertainty estimation despite the model losing calibration accuracy from the adversarial examples (Fig. 7C).\nThe robustness of evidential uncertainty against adversarial perturbations is visualized in greater detail in Fig. 7D, which illustrates the predicted depth, error, and estimated pixel-wise uncertainty as we perturb the input image with greater amounts of noise (left-to-right). Note that the predictive uncertainty not only steadily increases as we increase the noise, but the spatial concentrations of uncertainty throughout the image maintain tight correspondence with the error. 6 CONCLUSION\nIn this paper, we develop a novel method for training deterministic NNs that both estimates a desired target and evaluates the evidence in support of the target to generate robust metrics of model uncertainty. We formalize this in terms of learning evidential distributions, and achieve stable training by penalizing our model for prediction errors that scale with the available evidence. Our approach for evidential regression is validated on a benchmark regression task. We further demonstrate that this method robustly scales to a key task in computer vision, depth estimation, and that the predictive uncertainty increases with increasing out-of-distribution adversarial perturbation. This framework for evidential representation learning provides a means to achieve the precise uncertainty metrics required for robust neural network deployment in safety-critical domains. 7 APPENDIX\n 7.1 MODEL EVIDENCE DERIVATIONS\nFor convenience, define \u03c4 = 1/\u03c32 be the precision of a Gaussian distribution. The change of variables transforms the Normal Inverse-Gamma distribution p(\u00b5, \u03c32|\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2) to the equivalent Normal Gamma distribution p(\u00b5, \u03c4 |\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2), parameterized by precision \u03c4 \u2208 (0,\u221e) instead of variance \u03c32,\np(\u00b5, \u03c4 |\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2) = \u03b2 \u03b1 \u221a \u03bb\n\u0393(\u03b1) \u221a 2\u03c0 \u03c4\u03b1\u2212 1 2 e\u2212\u03b2\u03c4e\u2212\n\u03bb\u03c4(\u00b5\u2212\u03b3)2 2 . (12) 7.1.1 TYPE II MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD LOSS\nMarginalizing out \u00b5 and \u03c4 gives the result of equation 5, p(yi|m) = \u222b \u03c4 \u222b \u00b5 p(yi|\u00b5, \u03c4) p(\u00b5, \u03c4 |\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2) d\u00b5d\u03c4 (13)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c4=0 \u222b \u221e \u00b5=\u2212\u221e [\u221a \u03c4 2\u03c0 e\u2212 \u03c4 2 (yi\u2212\u00b5) 2 ] [ \u03b2\u03b1 \u221a \u03bb \u0393(\u03b1) \u221a 2\u03c0 \u03c4\u03b1\u2212 1 2 e\u2212\u03b2\u03c4e\u2212 \u03bb\u03c4(\u00b5\u2212\u03b3)2 2 ] d\u00b5d\u03c4 (14)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c4=0 (\u03b2\u03c4)\u03b1 \u0393(\u03b1) \u221a \u03bb 2\u03c0\u03c4(1 + \u03bb) e\u2212\u03b2\u03c4e\u2212 \u03c4\u03bb(\u03b3\u2212yi) 2 2(1\u2212\u03bb) d\u03c4 (15)\n= 2 1 2+\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1\n\u221a \u03bb\n2\u03c0(1 + \u03bb)\n( 2\u03b2 + \u03bb(\u03b3 \u2212 yi)2\n1 + \u03bb\n)\u2212 12\u2212\u03b1 . (16)\nFor computational reasons it is common to instead minimize the negative logarithm of the model evidence.\nLNLLi (w) = \u2212 log p(yi|m) = \u2212 log\n( 2 1 2+\u03b1\u03b2\u03b1 \u221a \u03bb\n2\u03c0(1 + \u03bb)\n( 2\u03b2 + \u03bb(\u03b3 \u2212 yi)2\n1 + \u03bb\n)\u2212 12\u2212\u03b1) (17) 7.1.2 SUM OF SQUARES LOSS\nSimilarly, we can marignalize out \u00b5 and \u03c32 to receive the result of equation 8, LSOSi (w) = \u222b \u03c32 \u222b \u00b5 Ey\u223cp(y|\u00b5,\u03c32) [ ||yi \u2212 y||22 ] p(\u00b5, \u03c32|\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2) d\u00b5d\u03c32 (18)\n= \u222b \u03c32 \u222b \u00b5 \u222b y ||yi \u2212 y||22 p(y|\u00b5, \u03c32) p(\u00b5, \u03c32|\u03b3, \u03bb, \u03b1, \u03b2) dy d\u00b5d\u03c32 (19)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c32=0 \u222b \u221e \u00b5=\u2212\u221e \u222b \u221e y=\u2212\u221e ||yi \u2212 y||22 [\u221a 1 2\u03c0\u03c32 e\u2212 (y\u2212\u00b5)2 2\u03c32 ] [\n\u03b2\u03b1 \u221a \u03bb\n\u0393(\u03b1) \u221a 2\u03c0\n( 1\n\u03c32\n)\u03b1+ 32 e\u2212 \u03b2 \u03c32 e\u2212 \u03bb(\u00b5\u2212\u03b3)2 2\u03c32 ] dy d\u00b5d\u03c32 (20)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c32=0 \u222b \u221e \u00b5=\u2212\u221e [ (yi \u2212 \u00b5)2 + \u03c32 ] [ \u03b2\u03b1\u221a\u03bb \u0393(\u03b1) \u221a 2\u03c0 ( 1 \u03c32 )\u03b1+ 32 e\u2212 \u03b2 \u03c32 e\u2212 \u03bb(\u00b5\u2212\u03b3)2 2\u03c32 ] d\u00b5d\u03c32\n(21)\n= \u222b \u221e \u03c32=0 \u03b2\u03b1 \u03bb\u0393(\u03b1) exp ( \u2212\u03b2/\u03c32 ) \u03c3\u22122(\u03b1+1) ( \u03c32(1 + \u03bb) + \u03bb(yi \u2212 \u03b3)2 ) d\u03c32 (22)\n=\n( \u0393(\u03b1\u2212 12 )\n4 \u0393(\u03b1)\u03bb \u221a \u03b2\n)( 2\u03b2(1 + \u03bb) + (2\u03b1\u2212 1)\u03bb(yi \u2212 \u03b3)2 ) (23) 7.2 KL-DIVERGENCE OF THE NORMAL INVERSE-GAMMA\nThe KL-divergence between two Normal Inverse-Gamma functions is given by (Soch & Allefeld, 2016):\nKL(p(\u00b5, \u03c32|\u03b31, \u03bb1, \u03b11, \u03b21)||p(\u00b5, \u03c32|\u03b32, \u03bb2, \u03b12, \u03b22) (24)\n= 1\n2 \u03b11 \u03b21 (\u00b51 \u2212 \u00b52)2\u03bb2 + 1 2 \u03bb2 \u03bb1 \u2212 1 2 + \u03b12 log ( \u03b21 \u03b22 ) \u2212 log ( \u0393(\u03b11) \u0393(\u03b12) ) (25)\n+ (\u03b11 \u2212 \u03b12)\u03a8(\u03b11)\u2212 (\u03b21 \u2212 \u03b22) \u03b11 \u03b21\n(26)\n\u0393(\u00b7) is the Gamma function and \u03a8(\u00b7) is the Digamma function. The evidence is defined by (2\u03b1+ \u03bb). For zero evidence, both \u03b1 = 0 and \u03bb = 0. To compute the KL divergence between one N.I.G distribution and another with zero evidence we can set either {\u03b12, \u03bb2} = 0 (i.e., forward-KL) in which case, \u0393(0) is not well defined, or {\u03b11, \u03bb1} = 0 (i.e. reverse-KL) which causes a divide-by-zero error of \u03bb1. In either approach, the KL-divergence between an arbitrary N.I.G and one with zero evidence can not be evaluated. 7.3 BENCHMARK REGRESSION TASK EVALUATIONS\n 7.3.1 EPISTEMIC UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATION\nThe training set consists of training examples drawn from y = sin(3x)/(3x) + , where \u223c N (0, 0.02) in the region \u22123 \u2264 x \u2264 3, whereas the test data is unbounded. All models consisted of 100 neurons with 3 hidden layers and were trained to convergence. The data presented in Fig. 3 illustrates the estimated epistemic uncertainty and predicted mean accross the entire test set, \u22123 \u2264 x \u2264 3. 7.3.2 IMPACT OF THE EVIDENTIAL REGULARIZER\nIn the following experiment, we demonstrate the importance of augmenting the training objective with our evidential regularizer LR as introduced in Sec. 3.2. Fig. 8 provides quantitative results on training the same regression problem presented in 7.3.1 with and without this evidential regularization term. This term introduces an \u201cuncertain\u201d prior into our learning process so out-of-distribution (OOD)\nsamples exhibit high epistemic uncertainty. Without the use of this novel loss term, the learned epistemic uncertainty is unreliable on OOD data. 7.3.3 ALEATORIC UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATION\nThe training set consists of training examples drawn from y = sin(3x)/(3x) + (x), where (x) \u223c N (0, s(x)), and s(x) = 120 cos(3.3x) + 0.1. We evaluate against (Kendall & Gal, 2017) which presents an algorithm for heteroscedastic aleatoric uncertainty estimation by inferring the mean and variance of a Gaussian likelihood function. As presented in the paper, training is done by minimizing the negative log-likelihood of the data given the inferred likelihood parameters. Both our network and the baseline Gaussian NLL network consisted of 100 neurons with 3 hidden layers and were trained to convergence. 7.4 ADDITIONAL DEPTH ESTIMATION PERFORMANCE RESULTS\n", "source": "paper_review", "evaluation": "human"}
{"instructions": ["What is the approach of previous work?", "Is the lexicon the same for all languages?", "How do they obtain the lexicon?", "What evaluation metric is used?", "Which languages are similar to each other?", "Which datasets are employed for South African languages LID?", "Does the paper report the performance of a baseline model on South African languages LID?", "Does the algorithm improve on the state-of-the-art methods?"], "outputs": ["'shallow' naive Bayes, SVM, hierarchical stacked classifiers, bidirectional recurrent neural networks", "Yes", "built over all the data and therefore includes the vocabulary from both the training and testing sets", "average classification accuracy, execution performance", "Nguni languages (zul, xho, nbl, ssw), Sotho languages (nso, sot, tsn)", "DSL 2015, DSL 2017, JW300 parallel corpus , NCHLT text corpora", "Yes", "Yes"], "gpt4_outputs": ["Previous work on language identification (LID) has used methods like naive Bayes classifiers, support vector machines (SVMs), and hierarchical stacked classifiers. Some approaches have used character-level n-gram language models, parts of speech tag features, and other engineered features.", "No, the lexicon is different for each language or language group.", "The lexicon is built over all the data, which includes the vocabulary from both the training and testing sets.", "The evaluation metric used is the average classification accuracy.", "The Nguni languages (zul, xho, nbl, ssw) are similar to each other and harder to distinguish. The same is true of the Sotho languages (nso, sot, tsn).", "The datasets employed for South African languages LID are the NCHLT text corpora, DSL 2015, and DSL 2017 datasets.", "Yes, the paper reports the performance of multiple variations of the proposed classifier, including a single naive Bayesian classifier (NB), a stack of two naive Bayesian classifiers (NB+NB), a stack of a naive Bayesian classifier and lexicon (NB+Lex), and a lexicon (Lex) by itself.", "Yes, the proposed algorithm performed well relative to other methods, beating their results. However, its performance is dependent on the support of the lexicon."], "claude_outputs": ["Previous work on language identification has used approaches such as:\nNaive Bayes classifiers using character n-grams, word n-grams and Parts of Speech tags.\n\nSupport Vector Machines (SVMs) with engineered features.\n\nHierarchical classifiers that first classify by language group and then by exact language.\n\nNeural networks like bidirectional recurrent neural networks and ensembles of recurrent neural networks.", "The paper does not specify if the lexicon is the same for all languages. It mentions building a lexicon \"over all the data\", so it seems the lexicon contains words from all languages.", "The paper does not specify how the lexicon is obtained. It only mentions that \"The lexicon is built over all the data and therefore includes the vocabulary from both the training and testing sets.\"", "The paper reports average classification accuracy as the evaluation metric. It reports accuracies for classifying a piece of text by its specific language label.", "The paper mentions that the Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swati) are similar to each other and harder to distinguish. The Sotho languages (Northern Sotho, Sotho, Tswana) are also similar to each other.", "The paper evaluates the proposed algorithm on:\n\nThe NCHLT text corpora which contains Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English and other South African languages.\n\nThe DSL 2015 and DSL 2017 datasets which contain similar languages.", "Yes, the paper reports the performance of:\nA single naive Bayes (NB) classifier\nAn ensemble of 2 NB classifiers\nA lexicon-only classifier", "Yes, the paper reports that the proposed stacked NB and lexicon classifier \"performed well relative to the other methods beating their results.\" However, it notes that the performance depends on the quality of the lexicon."], "input": "Introduction\nAccurate language identification (LID) is the first step in many natural language processing and machine comprehension pipelines. If the language of a piece of text is known then the appropriate downstream models like parts of speech taggers and language models can be applied as required.\nLID is further also an important step in harvesting scarce language resources. Harvested data can be used to bootstrap more accurate LID models and in doing so continually improve the quality of the harvested data. Availability of data is still one of the big roadblocks for applying data driven approaches like supervised machine learning in developing countries.\nHaving 11 official languages of South Africa has lead to initiatives (discussed in the next section) that have had positive effect on the availability of language resources for research. However, many of the South African languages are still under resourced from the point of view of building data driven models for machine comprehension and process automation.\nTable TABREF2 shows the percentages of first language speakers for each of the official languages of South Africa. These are four conjunctively written Nguni languages (zul, xho, nbl, ssw), Afrikaans (afr) and English (eng), three disjunctively written Sotho languages (nso, sot, tsn), as well as tshiVenda (ven) and Xitsonga (tso). The Nguni languages are similar to each other and harder to distinguish. The same is true of the Sotho languages.\nThis paper presents a hierarchical naive Bayesian and lexicon based classifier for LID of short pieces of text of 15-20 characters long. The algorithm is evaluated against recent approaches using existing test sets from previous works on South African languages as well as the Discriminating between Similar Languages (DSL) 2015 and 2017 shared tasks.\nSection SECREF2 reviews existing works on the topic and summarises the remaining research problems. Section SECREF3 of the paper discusses the proposed algorithm and Section SECREF4 presents comparative results.\nRelated Works\nThe focus of this section is on recently published datasets and LID research applicable to the South African context. An in depth survey of algorithms, features, datasets, shared tasks and evaluation methods may be found in BIBREF0.\nThe datasets for the DSL 2015 & DSL 2017 shared tasks BIBREF1 are often used in LID benchmarks and also available on Kaggle . The DSL datasets, like other LID datasets, consists of text sentences labelled by language. The 2017 dataset, for example, contains 14 languages over 6 language groups with 18000 training samples and 1000 testing samples per language.\nThe recently published JW300 parallel corpus BIBREF2 covers over 300 languages with around 100 thousand parallel sentences per language pair on average. In South Africa, a multilingual corpus of academic texts produced by university students with different mother tongues is being developed BIBREF3. The WiLI-2018 benchmark dataset BIBREF4 for monolingual written natural language identification includes around 1000 paragraphs of 235 languages. A possibly useful link can also be made BIBREF5 between Native Language Identification (NLI) (determining the native language of the author of a text) and Language Variety Identification (LVI) (classification of different varieties of a single language) which opens up more datasets. The Leipzig Corpora Collection BIBREF6, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Tatoeba are also often used sources of data.\nThe NCHLT text corpora BIBREF7 is likely a good starting point for a shared LID task dataset for the South African languages BIBREF8. The NCHLT text corpora contains enough data to have 3500 training samples and 600 testing samples of 300+ character sentences per language. Researchers have recently started applying existing algorithms for tasks like neural machine translation in earnest to such South African language datasets BIBREF9.\nExisting NLP datasets, models and services BIBREF10 are available for South African languages. These include an LID algorithm BIBREF11 that uses a character level n-gram language model. Multiple papers have shown that 'shallow' naive Bayes classifiers BIBREF12, BIBREF8, BIBREF13, BIBREF14, SVMs BIBREF15 and similar models work very well for doing LID. The DSL 2017 paper BIBREF1, for example, gives an overview of the solutions of all of the teams that competed on the shared task and the winning approach BIBREF16 used an SVM with character n-gram, parts of speech tag features and some other engineered features. The winning approach for DSL 2015 used an ensemble naive Bayes classifier. The fasttext classifier BIBREF17 is perhaps one of the best known efficient 'shallow' text classifiers that have been used for LID .\nMultiple papers have proposed hierarchical stacked classifiers (including lexicons) that would for example first classify a piece of text by language group and then by exact language BIBREF18, BIBREF19, BIBREF8, BIBREF0. Some work has also been done on classifying surnames between Tshivenda, Xitsonga and Sepedi BIBREF20. Additionally, data augmentation BIBREF21 and adversarial training BIBREF22 approaches are potentially very useful to reduce the requirement for data.\nResearchers have investigated deeper LID models like bidirectional recurrent neural networks BIBREF23 or ensembles of recurrent neural networks BIBREF24. The latter is reported to achieve 95.12% in the DSL 2015 shared task. In these models text features can include character and word n-grams as well as informative character and word-level features learnt BIBREF25 from the training data. The neural methods seem to work well in tasks where more training data is available.\nIn summary, LID of short texts, informal styles and similar languages remains a difficult problem which is actively being researched. Increased confusion can in general be expected between shorter pieces of text and languages that are more closely related. Shallow methods still seem to work well compared to deeper models for LID. Other remaining research opportunities seem to be data harvesting, building standardised datasets and creating shared tasks for South Africa and Africa. Support for language codes that include more languages seems to be growing and discoverability of research is improving with more survey papers coming out. Paywalls also seem to no longer be a problem; the references used in this paper was either openly published or available as preprint papers.\nMethodology\nThe proposed LID algorithm builds on the work in BIBREF8 and BIBREF26. We apply a naive Bayesian classifier with character (2, 4 & 6)-grams, word unigram and word bigram features with a hierarchical lexicon based classifier.\nThe naive Bayesian classifier is trained to predict the specific language label of a piece of text, but used to first classify text as belonging to either the Nguni family, the Sotho family, English, Afrikaans, Xitsonga or Tshivenda. The scikit-learn multinomial naive Bayes classifier is used for the implementation with an alpha smoothing value of 0.01 and hashed text features.\nThe lexicon based classifier is then used to predict the specific language within a language group. For the South African languages this is done for the Nguni and Sotho groups. If the lexicon prediction of the specific language has high confidence then its result is used as the final label else the naive Bayesian classifier's specific language prediction is used as the final result. The lexicon is built over all the data and therefore includes the vocabulary from both the training and testing sets.\nThe lexicon based classifier is designed to trade higher precision for lower recall. The proposed implementation is considered confident if the number of words from the winning language is at least one more than the number of words considered to be from the language scored in second place.\nThe stacked classifier is tested against three public LID implementations BIBREF17, BIBREF23, BIBREF8. The LID implementation described in BIBREF17 is available on GitHub and is trained and tested according to a post on the fasttext blog. Character (5-6)-gram features with 16 dimensional vectors worked the best. The implementation discussed in BIBREF23 is available from https://github.com/tomkocmi/LanideNN. Following the instructions for an OSX pip install of an old r0.8 release of TensorFlow, the LanideNN code could be executed in Python 3.7.4. Settings were left at their defaults and a learning rate of 0.001 was used followed by a refinement with learning rate of 0.0001. Only one code modification was applied to return the results from a method that previously just printed to screen. The LID algorithm described in BIBREF8 is also available on GitHub.\nThe stacked classifier is also tested against the results reported for four other algorithms BIBREF16, BIBREF26, BIBREF24, BIBREF15. All the comparisons are done using the NCHLT BIBREF7, DSL 2015 BIBREF19 and DSL 2017 BIBREF1 datasets discussed in Section SECREF2.\nResults and Analysis\nThe average classification accuracy results are summarised in Table TABREF9. The accuracies reported are for classifying a piece of text by its specific language label. Classifying text only by language group or family is a much easier task as reported in BIBREF8.\nDifferent variations of the proposed classifier were evaluated. A single NB classifier (NB), a stack of two NB classifiers (NB+NB), a stack of a NB classifier and lexicon (NB+Lex) and a lexicon (Lex) by itself. A lexicon with a 50% training token dropout is also listed to show the impact of the lexicon support on the accuracy.\nFrom the results it seems that the DSL 2017 task might be harder than the DSL 2015 and NCHLT tasks. Also, the results for the implementation discussed in BIBREF23 might seem low, but the results reported in that paper is generated on longer pieces of text so lower scores on the shorter pieces of text derived from the NCHLT corpora is expected.\nThe accuracy of the proposed algorithm seems to be dependent on the support of the lexicon. Without a good lexicon a non-stacked naive Bayesian classifier might even perform better.\nThe execution performance of some of the LID implementations are shown in Table TABREF10. Results were generated on an early 2015 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with a 2.9 GHz CPU (Turbo Boosted to 3.4 GHz) and 8GB RAM. The C++ implementation in BIBREF17 is the fastest. The implementation in BIBREF8 makes use of un-hashed feature representations which causes it to be slower than the proposed sklearn implementation. The execution performance of BIBREF23 might improve by a factor of five to ten when executed on a GPU.\nConclusion\nLID of short texts, informal styles and similar languages remains a difficult problem which is actively being researched. The proposed algorithm was evaluated on three existing datasets and compared to the implementations of three public LID implementations as well as to reported results of four other algorithms. It performed well relative to the other methods beating their results. However, the performance is dependent on the support of the lexicon.\nWe would like to investigate the value of a lexicon in a production system and how to possibly maintain it using self-supervised learning. We are investigating the application of deeper language models some of which have been used in more recent DSL shared tasks. We would also like to investigate data augmentation strategies to reduce the amount of training data that is required.\nFurther research opportunities include data harvesting, building standardised datasets and shared tasks for South Africa as well as the rest of Africa. In general, the support for language codes that include more languages seems to be growing, discoverability of research is improving and paywalls seem to no longer be a big problem in getting access to published research.", "source": "scientific_qa", "evaluation": "human"}
